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Treatment of severe male-factor infertility with high concentrations of motile sperm by microinsemination in embryo cryopreservation straws

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Abstract

A microinsemination technique was evaluated for treating our program's most severe cases of male-factor infertility. Oocytes were inseminated with high concentrations of motile sperm (1 to 9×106/ml) in 10 to 150 μl within embryo cryopreservation straws. Fertilization was obtained in 20 of 29 (69%) couples treated by this technique. In the 15 patients in which only embryos generated from the straw technique were transferred, 7 clinical pregnancies resulted (46.7% per transfer). The implantation rate for couples receiving embryos from the straw technique only (12/58; 20.7%) compared favorably to that observed for other cases treated during this same time period with regular insemination techniques (111/766; 14.5%). Clinical pregnancy rates per transfer for IVF-ET, TET, and PROST were 33.0% (1/3), 0% (0/2), and 60.0% (6/10), respectively. The percentage of polyploidic embryos was significantly lower (P<0.0001) for male-factor patients treated by the straw technique with high sperm concentrations that for non-male-factor patients treated during this same time period with standard sperm concentrations. Normal births have resulted from straw inseminations with 3.4×106 and ongoing pregnancies with 5.0×106 motile sperm/ml. The results of this study suggest that some cases of male-factor infertility can be successfully treated by insemination with high concentrations of motile sperm in embryo cryopreservation straws. A technique of centrifuging sperm in straws was also developed to concentrate the entire fraction of washed sperm into 10 μl. Further development of this technique may allow treatment of more severe cases of oligo/asthenospermia by microinsemination with high concentrations of motile sperm than is presently possible with standard washing techniques.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, 52242, Iowa City, Iowa

    Diane G. Hammitt, Dave L. Walker, Craig H. Syrop, Terri M. Miller & Monte R. Bennett

  2. Department of Urology, The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 52242, Iowa City, Iowa

    Diane G. Hammitt

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  1. Diane G. Hammitt
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  2. Dave L. Walker
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Hammitt, D.G., Walker, D.L., Syrop, C.H. et al. Treatment of severe male-factor infertility with high concentrations of motile sperm by microinsemination in embryo cryopreservation straws. J Assist Reprod Genet 8, 101–110 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01138663

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01138663

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