A novel method for sperm diagnosis and selection based on chemotactic orientation towards proegesterone

GATICA, LV; MONTESINOS, MM; GUIDOBALDI, HA; TEVES, ME; UÑATES, DR; GIOJALAS, LC

Barcelona, España

Congreso; 9th International Congress of Andrology; 2009

Sociedad Internacional de Andrologia

Objective: The aim was to evaluate a new method to diagnose human sperm samples and to select spermatozoa at the best functional state by means of chemotaxis mediated by progesterone (P). Methods: Capacitated human spermatozoa were separated by chemotaxis towards P in a chamber consisted .of two wells connected by a tube, one filled with spermatozoa and the other with the culture medium or P. The difference in the sperm count between the condition in the absence or presence of P was calculated. After defining the best experimental conditions to perform the sperm separation assay, the validation of this method was carried out with specific inhibition of membrane adenylyl cyclase (mAC), a descendant gradient of P, a comparison to chemotaxis determination by video microscopy, and the level of induced acrosome reaction (AR). Results: The optimum conditions for sperm separation by chemotaxis were: 1% human albumin, 6 million cells/ml, 10 pM P and 20 min of incubation at 370C. A significant sperm subpopulation migrated towards P (9+0.4%; p