Zahra Sadighl Gilani, Mohammad Ali Sadighi Gilani,
Volume 11, Issue 4 (2-1998)
Abstract
The swim-up procedure was used to collect a sperm fraction with improved
motility and normal morphology from fertile and infertile semen samples. The
untreated and swim-up fractions were analyzed with the Hamilton-Thorn Motility
Analyser. Comparisons were made to see the effect of this sperm selection
technique on sperm motility and morphology. They were then examined by
transmission electron microscopy and the various sperm morphologies were
recorded. Fertile and infertile samples were compared for differences in these
parameters.
There were no significant differences between fertile and infertile samples in
the frequencies of various sperm morphologies in the untreated and swim-up
fractions. There was a trend towards fertile samples having a higher motility of the
untreated ejaculate, as well as more normal heads and tails and fewer morphological
abnormalities than infertile samples.
Sperm motility was found to be affected by sperm morphology, with an
increase in normal sperm morphology resulting in an increase in motility. Normal
sperm tail morphology appears to be the most important factor in motility, since
this was the only morphology to show a significant increase in the swim-up
fractions in all semen samples. Head morphology is less important to motility, but
it is thought to play a major role in fertilization of the egg.
