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Human sperm decondensation in vitro is related to cleavage rate and embryo quality in IVF

  • Assisted Reproduction Technologies
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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate whether the ability of human spermatozoa to decondense in vitro in the presence of heparin (Hep) and glutathione (GSH) is related to assisted reproduction (ART) success.

Methods

Cross-sectional pilot study involving male partners of 129 infertile couples undergoing ICSI with (45) or without (84) donor oocytes at two infertility clinics in CABA, Argentina, between October 2012 and December 2013. In vitro decondensation kinetics with Hep and GSH and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) were determined on the same sample used for ICSI. The possible relationship of decondensation parameters (maximum decondensation and decondensation velocity) and TUNEL values with ART success was evaluated.

Results

Embryo quality correlated positively with decondensation velocity (D60/D30) (Spearman’s correlation, p < 0.05). According to D60/D30 values, patients were classified as slow decondensers (SlowD) (n = 68) or fast decondensers (FastD) (n = 61). Embryo quality was better in FastD (unpaired t test, p < 0.05). FastD and SlowD were subdivided according to use of donor oocytes. Among SlowD, biochemical and clinical pregnancy rates per transfer were significantly higher in donor (n = 19) vs. in non-donor (n = 31) cycles (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.05). TUNEL values were not related to embryo quality, but no clinical pregnancies or live births were achieved in TUNEL+ SlowD (n = 7).

Conclusion

Decondensation kinetics of human spermatozoa in vitro with Hep and GSH could be related to embryo quality and ART success.

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Funding

This work was supported by CONICET grant BID PICT 2012-2489 and by a grant from Fundación Bigand, Buenos Aires, Argentina. MYC and CG are doctoral fellows, CONICET, Argentina.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    C. Galotto, M. Y. Cambiasso, V. L. Julianelli, L. Calvo, J. C. Calvo & Marina Romanato

  2. Procrearte, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    V. L. Julianelli & G. J. Rey Valzacchi

  3. Servicio de Urología, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    G. J. Rey Valzacchi & M. L. Rodriguez

  4. Laboratorio de Andrología, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    R. N. Rolando

  5. Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    J. C. Calvo

Authors
  1. C. Galotto
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  2. M. Y. Cambiasso
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  3. V. L. Julianelli
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  4. G. J. Rey Valzacchi
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  5. R. N. Rolando
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  6. M. L. Rodriguez
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  7. L. Calvo
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  8. J. C. Calvo
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  9. Marina Romanato
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Contributions

CG, MYC, and VJ contributed substantially to acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data corresponding to in vitro sperm decondensation. RR and LR contributed substantially to acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data corresponding to DNA fragmentation assessment and ART performance. GRV supervised all clinical procedures. GRV, LC, JCC, VJ, and MR contributed substantially to conception and design, data analysis, and interpretation of data and drafting of the article. All authors contributed substantially to drafting and critical revision of the article and approved the final version submitted for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marina Romanato.

Ethics declarations

This study was approved by CEPI (Ethics Committee of Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires) and IBYME Ethics Committee.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Galotto, C., Cambiasso, M.Y., Julianelli, V.L. et al. Human sperm decondensation in vitro is related to cleavage rate and embryo quality in IVF. J Assist Reprod Genet 36, 2345–2355 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-019-01590-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-019-01590-y

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