Effects of inhaled anesthetics on human sperm motility in vitro / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of inhaled anesthetics on human sperm motility in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sperm samples were obtained from 20 healthy men by masturbation and prepared by the swim-up technique. The effects of isoflurane and sevoflurane at the clinical concentration (1.4%-5.6%) and high concentration (5.6%-84%) on human sperm motility in vitro were observed at 25 degrees C by the computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sperm vitality and motility were significantly increased on 0.5-4 h exposure to isoflurane at the clinical concentration and decreased gradually at high concentration (42%-84%). The effect of isoflurane on human sperm motility and vitality at the clinical concentration was reversible when the anesthetic withdrawn. Sevoflurane had no effects on human sperm motility and vitality at either the clinical or high concentration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Isoflurane has a reversible increasing effect at the clinical concentration and a significant decreasing effect at the high concentration on the motility and vitality of human sperm, while sevoflurane does not affect human sperm motility and vitality at either concentration.</p>