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Zeta potential vs apoptotic marker: which is more suitable for ICSI sperm selection?

  • Gamete Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Selection of appropriate sperm is considered as a decision making point in the ICSI procedure. Canonically, sperm selection is based on morphology and motility. Recent advances in this field, have shown that, this procedure can be assisted by further selection based on membrane surface charge (Zeta potential) and surface apoptotic marker (phosphatidylserine externalization) using magnetic activated cell sorter (MACS). Based on the literature, both these procedures improve quality of selected sperm population. Therefore, this study aims to compare the efficiency of these two procedures.

Methods

Semen samples were collected from 36 fertile and infertile (teratozoospermic and /or asthenozoospermic) individuals. Sperm DNA fragmentation, protamine deficiency and morphology were assessed by TUNEL, CMA3 and papanicolaou staining in unprocessed, MACS and Zeta processed samples.

Results

Although both MACS and Zeta were able to separate a higher percentage of sperm with normal morphology, and lower DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency compared to unprocessed, MACS procedure could significantly isolate, a greater percentage of sperm with normal acrosome and protamine content compared to Zeta procedure.

Conclusion

Both MACS and Zeta procedures improve the quality of the selected spermatozoa for ICSI. However, MACS procedure is more efficient in individuals with severe male factor infertility to select sperm with normal acrosome and protamine content but concern regarding transfer of MACS beads into the oocyte remains to be resolved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Reproductive Biotechnology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran

    A. Zahedi, M. Tavalaee, M. R. Deemeh, L. Azadi & M. H. Nasr-Esfahani

  2. Payame Noor University, Isfahan, Iran

    A. Zahedi & M. Fazilati

  3. Isfahan Fertility and Infertility Center, Isfahan, Iran

    M. R. Deemeh & M. H. Nasr-Esfahani

Authors
  1. A. Zahedi
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  2. M. Tavalaee
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  3. M. R. Deemeh
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  4. L. Azadi
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  5. M. Fazilati
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  6. M. H. Nasr-Esfahani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. H. Nasr-Esfahani.

Additional information

Capsule In the two novel sperm selection procedures for ICSI, the efficiency of both DGC-zeta and MACS-DGC procedures to recovered sperm with intact DNA and normal morphology were similar. However, MACS-DGC was more efficient to recover sperm with normal protamine content and acrosome morphology.

A. Zahedi and M. Tavalaee have equal contribution

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Zahedi, A., Tavalaee, M., Deemeh, M.R. et al. Zeta potential vs apoptotic marker: which is more suitable for ICSI sperm selection?. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 1181–1186 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0022-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0022-1

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