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Objective: To determine whether metabolomic analysis of follicular fluid could prove a useful noninvasive technique for the selection of viable oocytes and embryos., Design: Metabolomic analysis based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) performed on follicular fluid collected from in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients., Setting: A university research center and a private fertility clinic., Patient(s): Fifty-eight women undergoing IVF treatment., Intervention(s): Follicular fluid collected at the time of oocyte retrieval., Main Outcome Measure(s): Metabolomic profile, assessment of oocyte developmental potential and embryo viability., Result(s): The metabolomic profile of follicular fluid from follicles where the oocyte resulted in a fertilized egg that failed to cleave (n = 9) was distinctly different from that where oocytes developed into early cleavage-stage embryos. Discriminating metabolites included glucose, lactate, choline/phosphocholine, and lipoproteins. Comparison of follicular fluid from women who subsequently had a positive β human chorionic gonadotropin (n = 10) to those who were unsuccessful in achieving a pregnancy (n = 12) revealed metabolic differences that were correlated to cycle outcome., Conclusion(s): Differences in the metabolite composition of follicular fluid correlate with the developmental competence of the human oocyte. Therefore, metabolomic profiling of follicular fluid may prove to be an important technique in gamete/embryo selection., (Copyright © 2012 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: It has been shown that the stress of infertility may impair semen quality. Whether counseling can attenuate this affect is unproven. This study examines, in an IVF program setting, where specific counseling is in operation, whether semen collected on the day of oocyte recovery is significantly different from that obtained during the prior clinical suitability assessment of the couple., Results: In the 125 consecutive couples examined, there were no significant overall differences in semen volume or sperm density. There was a significant increase in sperm motility on the day of oocyte retrieval (P < 0.001). Twenty-three patients (18.4%) showed an increase in quality, and 21 (16.8%) a decrease, on the day of oocyte recovery. The environment of production appeared to exert no influence. Fertilization failure occurred in seven couples, three (14%) of whom presented for the first time with decreased semen parameters on the day of IVF. This compares with 1 of 23 (4%) fertilization failure in those whose parameters increased., Conclusion: The semen quality of the vast majority of the patients studied in this highly counseled program does not appear to be significantly affected by the superstress of participation in the day of oocyte recovery.

The article focuses on the prevalence of abnormal genital-tract flora in infertile women and the association between bacterial vaginosis and in vivo sperm function. In an investigation of 120 women, it revealed that the so-called disease exists about 25% of the total population. Furthermore, the occurrence of mycoplasma hominis and ureaplasma urealyticum were discovered in one and two women, respectively.