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Technologies for Cryoprotectant-Free Vitrification of Human Spermatozoa: Asepticity as a Criterion for Effectiveness

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Abstract

This review describes the 120-year history of technology for cryoprotectant-free cryopreservation of human spermatozoa by direct plunging into liquid nitrogen (vitrification). It explains why cryoprotectant-free vitrification of some human ejaculate samples is better than conventional freezing and vitrification with the presence of cryoprotectants. Special attention is given to the extremely high viability of viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasmas after cryoprotectant-free cryopreservation in culture medium and even in distilled water. This increases the potential risk of disease transmission through liquid nitrogen. The concept of asepticity is concretized as an obvious parameter for any medical assisted reproduction technology that includes cooling of cells in liquid nitrogen. The roles of nonpermeating compounds in media for cytoprotectant-free vitrification—carbohydrates, proteins, lipoproteins, antioxidants—are described. This review summarizes relevant data regarding two groups of different current technologies for cryoprotectant-free vitrification of human spermatozoa: those involving direct contact of spermatozoa with liquid nitrogen and those involving full isolation of these cells from liquid nitrogen (aseptic technologies).

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Author notes

  1. Authors Vladimir Isachenko, Gohar Rahimi, Peter Mallmann, R. Sanchez, and Evegenia Isachenko are contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Maternal Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cologne University, Cologne, Germany

    Vladimir Isachenko, Gohar Rahimi, Peter Mallmann & Evgenia Isachenko

  2. Department of Preclinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

    Raul Sanchez

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  1. Vladimir Isachenko
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Reproductive Biology Associates – Prelude, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Zsolt Peter Nagy

  2. Astra Fertility Group, Mississauga, ON, Canada

    Alex C. Varghese

  3. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Ashok Agarwal

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Isachenko, V., Rahimi, G., Mallmann, P., Sanchez, R., Isachenko, E. (2019). Technologies for Cryoprotectant-Free Vitrification of Human Spermatozoa: Asepticity as a Criterion for Effectiveness. In: Nagy, Z., Varghese, A., Agarwal, A. (eds) In Vitro Fertilization. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43011-9_52

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43011-9_52

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-43011-9

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