Morphometric and volumetric comparisons of human spermatozoa.

Morphometric measures and volumes of spermatozoa were determined for 28 human ejaculates which were previously analyzed for semen volume, sperm concentration, morphology, motility, and fertility by in vitro fertilization procedures (IVF). Morphometric measurements of sperm heads were analyzed using a Zeiss Videoplan computer, while spermatozoan volume was determined with an Elzone particle analyzer. Though a strong relationship was anticipated, correlations between the volumetric data and different morphometric measures revealed poor, insignificant values. This lack of correspondence may be due to individual differences in the thickness of the spermatozoa within a sample. Twenty-two of the ejaculates used in this study were classified as fertile and six were infertile according to the IVF procedure results. Correlations between the morphometric measurements and the volume determinations in the fertile group were all positive. In contrast, those of the infertile group were all negative with one exception (width vs. volume).

Volumetric analysis of human spermatozoa.

In 29 semen samples of men participating in an in vitro fertilization (IVF)-program the spermatozoan volume was determined on an electronic particle analyzer and a routine semen analysis was performed including the estimation of semen volume, sperm concentration, motility and morphology. Twenty three of the 29 semen samples were able to fertilize human oocytes in the IVF-procedure. There was no statistically significant difference noted between the spermatozoan volume of the fertile (16.25 +/- 0.43 cu microns) and the infertile samples (16.9 +/- 0.57 cu microns). Logistic regression analysis indicated that spermatozoan volume was not a significant predictor of fertility. Furthermore, none of the standard sperm parameters appear to be closely related to the mean spermatozoan volume.