The selection of sperm used for microinjection is very important in terms of achieving pregnancy. While sperm morphology is important, criteria such as the maturity of the sperm and the absence of DNA damage are also important. There are some sperm selection methods used today.
Who Requires Selection of Healthy Sperm?
- Couples with low fertilization rate in previous applications
- Embryo quality is low in previous applications. In couples with low sperm morphology
- In cases with poor sperm morphology
- In cases with low sperm motility
- When frozen low quality sperm must be used
- In cases with recurrent pregnancy loss
- In cases with low sperm motility
1. Picsi And Sperm Slow
Hyaloran is a substance normally found around the egg and is recognized only by mature sperm and allows them to adhere.
In this method, healthy and mature sperm are bound to a substance called Hyaluronan. In traditional ICSI (microinjection) applications, sperm are selected according to their shape and movement under the microscope. At this point, the PICSI method is a method used in sperm selection, thanks to the ability of mature sperm to bind to the hyaluronan substance.
2. Macs (Magnetc Activated Cell Sorting)
With the sperm washing method, mature and healthy sperm are selected. Unlike classical sperm washing methods, it allows the selection of sperms that are mature and have no DNA damage when passed through a magnetic field.
The beautiful shape of the sperm when examined under a microscope is not proof that its genetic structure is normal or that it has completed its maturity. In in vitro fertilization, before injecting the sperm into the egg with the microinjection method, we use this washing method to select sperm that are mature and have a normal chromosome ratio.
3-Imsi (Intracytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection)
Some sperm abnormalities may not be identified with normal microscopes with 400-600 magnification. IMSI method is the method of selecting the sperm cell with the high magnification of the microscope (approximately 6000 magnification lens system) and performing microinjection with this selected sperm. It is important that the sperm selected for microinjection be morphologically normal.
Sperm cell Sperms that do not have any shape problems are selected by being enlarged and examined. If there is an abnormality in the head of the sperm, called a vacuole, which cannot be seen with a normal microscope, there may be damage to the DNA that carries genetic information, which may lead to abnormal embryo development. IMSI reduces the possibility of sperm containing damaged DNA being injected into the egg.
Does Pregnancy Loss Reduce When Healthy Sperms Are Selected?
One of the most important factors determining the quality of the embryo is the quality of the sperm. The selection of sperm to be used for microinjection is of vital importance.
The important thing here is to select the few and problematic sperm available with the best techniques, fertilize the egg with the microinjection method, and ensure the birth of healthy babies with the good quality embryos obtained.
Read: 0
