[Correlation of sperm mitochondrial membrane potential with semen parameters and outcomes of in vitro fertilization].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) with routine semen parameters and the effect of MMP on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 727 IVF cycles, including 231 fresh transplantation cycles, in our hospital from November 2018 to October 2019. According to the MMP level determined by JC-1 staining and flow cytometry, we divided the patients into a low MMP (≤52%) and a high MMP (> 52%) group and compared the rates of fertilization, clinical pregnancy, abortion and live birth between the two groups. Meanwhile, we analyzed the correlation of sperm MMP with the semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS), and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI). RESULTS: The fertilization rate was significantly higher in the high MMP than in the low MMP group (85.3% ï¼»2 211/2 592ï¼½ vs 81.7% ï¼»3 910/4 785ï¼½, P < 0.01), and so were the rates of clinical pregnancy (50.00% ï¼»41/82ï¼½ vs 48.32% ï¼»72/149ï¼½, P < 0.05) and live birth (43.90%ï¼»36/82ï¼½ vs 40.94% ï¼»61/149ï¼½, P < 0.05), while the abortion rate was lower in the former than in the latter group (12.20% ï¼»5/41ï¼½ vs 15.28% ï¼»11/72ï¼½, P > 0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in sperm concentration, total sperm motility, percentages of PMS and MNS, and sperm DFI (P< 0.05), but not in the semen volume and total sperm count (P > 0.05). Sperm MMP was found correlated positively with sperm concentration (r = 0.11, P < 0.05), total sperm motility (r = 0.304, P < 0.01) and percentages of PMS (r = 288, P < 0.01) and MNS (r = 458, P < 0.01) but negatively with sperm DFI (r = 0.387, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The level of sperm MMP is related to decreased sperm motility, increased sperm abnormality, elevated sperm DFI and reduced IVF rate. It is also an important index for sperm function evaluation and, together with routine semen parameters, helps to comprehensively evaluate and optimize the assisted pregnancy program of infertile men in assisted reproduction technology.

[Correlation of sperm nuclear maturity with the outcomes of in vitro fertilization].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between sperm nuclear maturity and the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 1 393 cycles of IVF in our center from September 2018 to May 2020. According to the high DNA stainability (HDS) of sperm, we divided the patients into a mature (HDS ≤ 10%) and an immature sperm nucleus group (HDS > 10%), compared the results of IVF, embryonic development and clinical outcomes between the two groups, and analyzed their correlation with HDS. RESULTS: The rates of fertilization and normal fertilization were significantly higher and that of fertilization failure remarkably lower in the mature than in the immature sperm nuclear group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the rates of cleavage, high-quality embryo, blastocyst formation, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and live birth (P > 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that HDS was correlated negatively with the rates of fertilization, normal fertilization and blastocyst formation (P < 0.05), positively with fertilization failure (P < 0.05), but not significantly with the rates of cleavage, high-quality embryo, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and live birth (P > 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors by multivariate logistic regression analysis, HDS was found correlated negatively with the fertilization rate (OR = 0.945, 95% CI: 0.918 to 0.972, P < 0.05), positively with fertilization failure (OR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.010 to －1.078, P < 0.05), but not significantly with the rates of normal fertilization, cleavage, high-quality embryo, blastocyst formation, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and live birth (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sperm nuclear maturity significantly affects the rates of fertilization and fertilization failure in IVF patients. Taking sperm nuclear maturity indicators in consideration in the process of IVF may contribute to comprehensive evaluation of semen and male fertility and guide clinical decision-making.