[Sperm capacitation with double ejaculate of short interval. A choice in assisted reproduction]. / Capacitación espermática con doble eyaculado de corto intervalo. Una alternativa en reproducción asistida.

In the techniques of assisted reproduction a minimum number of spermatozoa are required, but some patients cannot provide them with one capacitated seminal sample. In this study we investigated if in vitro sperm capacitation of two ejaculates obtained one hour apart from patients with reduced sperm amounts provides an adequate number of spermatozoa. Samples of 75 patients with a low seminal account were processed. They provided one second seminal sample after 60 minutes from the first one. The parameters of the capacitated sample of the first ejaculate (PE) were compared with the parameters of the capacitated sample joining the first and the second ejaculates (PSE). A paired t-test was applied considering a significant value of p < 0.05. Concentration, mobility, total of mobile cells (TCM) and total of mobile cells with normal morphology (ICR) were 31.28 +/-17.65 million/mililiter, 50.45 +/-26.3%, 9.06 +/-7.85 million and 0.64 +/- 0.62 million, respectively in first ejaculate. The respective values in first and second ejaculates were 54.45 +/- 35.06 million/mililiter, 59.39 +/- 25.41%, 17.94 +/- 12.18 million and 1.32 +/- 1.11 million, which represents a significant increase (p<0.05) of 74%, 17%, 98% and 106% respectively. Neither the volume (0.49 +/- 0.037 mililiter versus 0.49 +/- 0.019 mililiter, increase 0%) nor morphology (5.66 +/- 2.76% versus 6.11 +/- 4.88%, increase 7.9%) had a significant change. Sperm capacitation with double ejaculate of short interval must be considered for patients with decreased sperm amounts when deciding the reproductive technique.

[Aspirated sperm activation from deferens in an ionic media similar to seminal plasma]. / Activación de espermatozoides aspirados del deferente con un medio iónico similar al plasma seminal.

OBJECTIVE: To compare motility on sperm obtained from the vas deferens and incubated in seminal plasma (PS), a ionic medium similar to seminal plasma (MA) and HTF-HEPES culture medium. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Aspirates from de proximal vas deferens were obtained in eight healthy men during vasectomy and separated in three aliquots (5-6 millions sperm/mL). Aliquots were incubated on PS, MA and HTF-HEPES. Quantitative and qualitative motility were assessed at one hour intervals. RESULTS: Sperm motility decreased 30% in the 1st hour but at the 3rd hour it increased 70% in aliquots incubated in PS and MA. Straight line velocity (VSL) also increased significatively at the 1st and 3rd hour only in aliquots incubated in PS and MA compared to aliquots incubated in HTF-HEPES (1st hour: p < 0.01; 3rd hour: p < 0.001). Curvilinear velocity (VCL) decreased at 3 hours in aliquots incubated in PS and MA compared to HTF-HEPES (P < 0.001). VCL was lower on aliquots incubated in PS compared to MA (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Sperm activation occurred in PS and MA at 3 hours. Incubation in HTF-HEPES culture medium resulted in a progressive decrease of sperm motility. This suggests that ionic/osmolar composition of PS is important for sperm activation of sperm obtained from the vas deferens.

Indice de células recuperables del semen: indicador de fertilidad / Semen recupeerable cells index: an indicator of fertility?

El análisis de semen carece de sensibilidad y especificidad para el diagnóstico de infertilidad en el hombre. Su valor predictivo se ve limitado por la variabilidad de las características seminales, la subjectividad de método manual y su falta de correlación con fertilidad.En este trabajo presentamos evidencia que sugiere que el cálculo de un índice de células potencialmente fértiles a partir de análisis ordinario de semen podría se útil para predecir el estado de fertilidad en el hombre.

Astenozoospermia severa: la ultraestructura / Severe astenoszooespermia: ultraestructure

La Astenozoospermia severa (AS) frecuentemente ocasiona frustración en el médico que atiende parejas con infertilidad. Habitualmente es causada por alteraciones irreversibles anatómicas o funcionales del espermatozoide. Las anomalías estructurales del gemeto masculino que ocurren durante la espermatogénesis pueden reconocerse fácilmente por microscopía electrónica, lo que hace a este estudio un elemento importante en el diagnostico de AS. A continuación presentamos las anormalidades anatómicas del espermatozoide, que en nuestra experiencia se asocian más frecuentemente con AS. Con fines comparativos de la ultraestructura normal de esta célula.