Cover
Vol. 4 No. 1 (2014)

Published: July 31, 2014

Pages: 49-55

Research Article

Mice embryonic development from cryopreserved epididymal sperm activated by pentoxifylline and L-carnitine: experimental model for human obstructive azoospermia

Abstract

Background: Many studies has been found that the pentoxifylline (PX) and L-carnitine (LC) as motility stimulants showed a positive effect on the activation of sperm in vitro and improve the forward movement after cryopreservation. Objectives: The present study aim to investigate the possibility of using the motility stimulants(i.ePX,LC and mixture of PX with LC medium) for in vitro sperm activation after cryopreservation of epididymal sperms and their effects in vitro on fertilization rate (FR) and early embryonic development (ED) following in vitro fertilization (IVF) process as a model for obstructive azoospermia in men. Methods: Fifty mature male and Fifty mature female mice, 8-12 weeks old were used. Epididymal sperms were obtained from caudal region and in vitro direct activation technique was done after cryopreservation by using four media namely; PX alone, LC alone, a mixture of PX with LC and Ham's F-12 (as control media). The four media were used for IVF of mature ova and FR with ED were recorded. Results: In vitro activation of epididymal sperms with PX, LC and mixture of PX with LC has shown positive effect on sperm concentration, sperm motility, and grade activity of progressive forward movement after cryopreservation. There was a significant (P<0.05) increase of FR in treated media compared with the control medium after 24 hours of insemination. The study showed that the quality and quantity of embryos. Conclusion: It is concluded from the results of the present study that adding PX, LC and mixture of PX with LC medium to the culture medium of cryopreserved epididymal sperms and IVF leads to an improvement in certain sperm function parameters, supports the FR and early ED rate.

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