Search

Background: Clomiphene citrate (CC) has been suggested to increase the chance of sperm retrieval with microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE). Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of CC on micro-TESE results, due to the great controversy in this regard. Materials and Methods: 112 participants were included in this cross-sectional study and were divided into a case (n = 54) and a control group (n = 58) diagnosed with non-abstractive azoospermia. The case group received 25 mg of CC daily for 3 months, while the control group did not receive anything. All participants underwent micro-TESE by an andrologist, and at the end, the results were compared between groups. Hormone tests, including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and prolactin were analyzed. Results: The mean age of participants was the same in the case and the control groups, and no significant relationship was observed between the 2 groups (p = 0.16). 25.9% of sperm and 31.0% of sperm were observed and extracted in the CC-treated and the control group, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings showed that after receiving CC, the number of sperm extraction did not increase but it rather decreased. However, the initial level of hormones such as testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin, and the men's age, testicle size, smoking, and opium addiction, underlying diseases had no significant relationship in the 2 groups and did not affect the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In December 2019, a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-COV-2) was found in China. The coronavirus can impact different organs, as shown by the virus having been detected in urine, blood, oropharyngeal, and feces. This study was done to assess the impact of COVID-19 on semen analysis and to evaluate the existence of the virus in the semen of infected men. Methodology. Forty fertile men with COVID-19 were confirmed by an oropharyngeal sample. The men were divided into two groups. The semen of twenty men in the acute stage of COVID-19 and twenty men in the clinical recovery stage was analyzed, and the parameters of semen were compared between two groups. In addition, a PCR test of patients' semen was done. Result. The analysis showed that all patients' semen specimens tested negative. Semen analysis revealed no significant difference in sperm count, concentration, or motility, and the sperm of both groups was found to be normal. However, viability and morphology parameters were significantly lower in men with the acute disease. Conclusion. Coronavirus (COVID-19) was not secreted in the semen of infected men but had a negative effect on the morphology and viability of the sperm of men in the acute stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) is one of the men's reproductive health criteria that affects assisted reproductive technique outcomes. Efforts in obtaining high-quality mature sperms seem to be necessary. Advanced sperm selection techniques (including physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection [PICSI], zeta potential, microfluidic, etc.) have gained popularity in this regard. Objective: The study aimed to compare the efficacy of zeta potential and PICSI sperm selection in obtaining sperms with better DNA integrity. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 48 couples were enrolled where the male partner had increased sperm DFI in his ejaculated sample and the female was in normal reproductive health. For each male partner, the semen sample was processed with zeta potential and PICSI techniques, then the sperm DFI of neat semen was compared to zeta and PICSI samples by the sperm chromatin dispersion test. Results: Data showed that both the zeta potential and PICSI technique decreased sperm DFI in comparison with the neat semen sample (p < 0.001 for both). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in sperm DFI between the PICSI and zeta potential samples (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The current study showed that both zeta potential and PICSI could result in sperm with a lower DFI. However, PICSI seems to be superior to zeta potential in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is enriched with active biological components which showed proliferative and cytoprotective properties in healing different injuries in medicinal fields. This study was designed to assess the cryoprotective effects of autologous PRP on the quality of oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT) samples during freezing and thawing procedure. Materials and Methods: The present study is an experimental research. Twenty OAT semen samples were ob- tained from individuals and prepared by discontinuous density – gradients technique DGC). The control group is sperm samples after DGC. After the procedure, the specimen was divided into four groups. The Freeze group which has no additive and the other three groups were cryopreserved with different concentrations of PRP (1×105 / µL, 0.5×105 /µL and 0.25×105 /µL). Autologous PRP was provided by each participant. After thawing, sperm pa- rameters, DNA fragmentation by sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD), protamine deficiency by (Chromomycin A3) CMA3 staining, acrosome integrity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were evaluated. Results: Cryopreservation resulted in a significant decrease in all factors compared to the control group. There were no significant changes in sperm count, morphology, non-progressive motility and acrosome reaction by adding PRP as a cryoprotectant in comparison with the freeze group. PRP at all three concentrations showed a significant increase in progressive motility (3.05 ± 2.01 vs. 14.05 ± 4.13, 12.35 ± 4.90 and 12.15 ± 9.65, P < 0.001) and viability (36.85 ± 10.25 vs. 47.85 ± 5.86, 51.30 ± 5.54 and 50.05 ± 5.67, P < 0.001) compared to the sperm samples without PRP. The percentage of immotile sperms decreased at all PRP concentrations compared to the freeze group. Moreover, PRP at 1×105 /µL concentration showed cryoprotective effects on DNA fragmentation, protamine deficiency and MDA level compared to the other three concentrations. Conclusion: Cryopreservation and thawing procedures may exert adverse effects on biological factors of sperm samples. Therefore, adding PRP as cryoprotectant at all three concentrations especially 1×105 /µL can be promising strategy to reduce adverse effects of cryopreservation on OAT samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It seems that varicocele play a role in male infertility, as such, their prevalence increases from 15% in the normal population to 80% in secondary infertility subjects. Varicoceles may have negative effects on semen quality. Our goal was to assess the effects of microsurgical varicocelectomy on semen analysis and sperm functional tests in men with different grades of varicoceles. Thirty infertile men with different grades of varicoceles (grades 1 to 3) were enrolled in our study. Semen quality was assessed by semen analysis according to the WHO guideline (WHO, 1999) and four different sperm functional tests (aniline blue, toluidine blue, chromomycin A3 and TUNEL test) were carried out before and 3 months after microsurgical varicocelectomy (M‐varicocelectomy). When considered all three grades together, we showed that M‐varicocelectomy had statistically significant effects on all four types of sperm functional tests (p value<0.05). It also had positive effects on conventional semen parameters, although the effects were not statistically significant for some parameters (for example sperm count). When analysed separately (based on varicocele grades) the surgery, although caused improvements in semen quality, but may have more statistically significant effects on patients with varicocele of higher grade. In addition, in varicocele of lower grade (for example grade 2), sperm function test may be a better predictor of surgical success than the conventional semen analysis. Thus, we show that not only M‐varicocelectomy has significant positive effect on semen quality but also if sperm functional tests become more affordable in the future, because they yield more precise results, their use in daily practice may increase significantly in patients with varicoceles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is enriched with active biological components which showed proliferative and cytoprotective properties in healing different injuries in medicinal fields. This study was designed to assess cryoprotective effects of autologous PRP on quality of oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT) samples during freezing and thawing procedure. Materials and Methods: The present study is an experimental research. Twenty OAT semen samples were obtained from individuals and prepared by discontinuous density -- gradients technique. Control group is sperm samples after DGC. After the procedure, the specimen divided into four groups. Freeze group which has no additive and other three groups were cryopreserved with different concentrations of PRP (1x105/µL, 0.5x105/µL and 0.25x105/µL). Autologous PRP was provided by each participant. After thawing, sperm parameters, DNA fragmentation by sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD), protamine deficiency by (Chromomycin A3) CMA3 staining, acrosome integrity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were evaluated. Results: Cryopreservation resulted in significant decreased in all factors compared to the control group. There were no significant changes on sperm count, morphology, non-progressive motility and acrosome reaction by adding PRP as cryoprotectant in comparison with freeze group. PRP at all three concentrations showed significant increase in progressive motility (3.05±2.01 vs. 14.05±4.13, 12.35±4.90 and 12.15±9.65, P<0.001) and viability (36.85±10.25 vs. 47.85±5.86, 51.30±5.54 and 50.05±5.67, P<0.001) compared to the sperm samples without PRP. The percentage of immotile sperms decreased at all PRP concentrations compared to the freeze group. Moreover, PRP at 1x105/µL concentration showed cryoprotective effects on DNA fragmentation, protamine deficiency and MDA level compared to the other three concenterations. Conclusion: Cryopreservation and thawing procedures may exert adverse effects on biological factors of sperm samples. Therefore, adding PRP as cryoprotectant at all three concentrations especially 1x105/µL can be promising strategy to reduce adverse effects of cryopreservation on OAT samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single sperm cryopreservation is a new method to preserve small numbers of spermatozoa in small droplets. So far, several devices have been introduced for this technique, but more studies are needed for its optimization. The aim of this study was optimizing the previous device for low number of spermatozoa and low volume semen, which led to design of Cryotop Vial device. Normal semen samples from 25 patients were prepared by swim-up method and divided into four groups: Fresh (F), Rapid freezing (R) and ultra-rapid freezing with Cryotop Device (CD) and Cryotop Vial Device (CVD). In R group, the diluted sperm suspension with sperm freezing medium was cooled in the vapor phase and then immersed in liquid nitrogen. Ultra rapid freezing was performed with sucrose in small volume using the Cryotop Device (CD) or Cryotop Vial Device (CVD). Sperm viability, motility, fine morphology, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation were assessed in all samples. All sperm parameters decreased significantly in all the cryo groups compared to the fresh group. The comparison between the cryo groups showed that progressive motility (69.28 ± 6.82 vs. 55.68 ± 9.04, and 54.76 ± 5.34, p < 0.001) and viability (77.36 ± 5.48 vs.68.84 ± 8.51, p < 0.001, and 70.04 ± 7.44, P = 0.002) were significantly higher in the CVD compared to the CD and R groups respectively. DNA fragmentation was also significantly lower in both ultra-rapid freezing groups (CD and CVD) compared to the R group. Fine morphology and mitochondrial activity were not different between the cryo groups. The CVD as a cryoprotectant and centrifuge-free technique preserved sperm motility, viability and DNA integrity after cryopreservation better than other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is a chemical material used in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) program.  The aim of this study was to investigate the ideal time that sperm can be safely incubated in PVP with less structure and DNA damage.Method: Thirty-one Oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT) samples were used. Sperm samples were prepared by discontinuous density-gradients method and incubated in 10% PVP at different time intervals (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min). The effect of PVP was assessed on sperm DNA fragmentation and viability via SCD assay and Eosin-nigrosin staining respectively.Results: Data showed there was a significant increase in sperm DNA fragmentation at 10 min compared to 0 min. The viability rate also significantly reduced at 10 min  compared to 0 min.Conclusion: As a result, sperm samples could be incubated with PVP for less than 10 min.  While prolonged incubation may significantly damage the sperm DNA integrity and viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]