Phosphatidylserine (PS), exposed on viable sperm, is required for fertilization as it is recognized by specific receptors located on the microvilli of the oocyte to promote sperm: egg fusion. The heads of viable and motile sperm exhibit PS. With (PS) exposure progressively increasing during sperm transit through the epididymis. PS asymmetry on the leaflets of plasma membrane is arranged in a complex way, via multiple proteins functioning in opposite directions; further, PS is also essential for many intracellular trafficking events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phosphatidylserine PS level in seminal plasma of infertile men before and after activation using Direct Swim Up (DSU) and Indirect Swim Up (IDSU) activation method and make a comparison between them. Forty infertile men were included in this study during their attendance to the infertility clinic at High Institute for Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Al-Nahrain University. Normozoospermic or mild asthenozoospermic semen samples were used to choose the cases, according to WHO manual standards (1999 -2010). The collected semen samples obtained were divided into three parts: The first part prepared was as an in vitro sperm characterization before activation while the second and third parts were after activation using direct and indirect swim up techniques respectively. The level of seminal plasma phosphatidylserine was increased after the activation techniques from the baseline level before activation. Comparison of Seminal plasma phosphatidylserine levels between direct and indirect sperm activation technique were significantly higher in direct swim up activation technique than indirect one. Phosphatidylserine (PS) in semen plasma of infertile men was significantly increased after activation using Direct Swim Up DSU preparation method.
In about 40% of infertile couples, the husband was found to be either the single or a contributing cause of infertility and the systemic management ready for those couples with male infertility are restricted. 135 couples with infertility shared herein; the husbands required in vitro activation for their sperm samples, their wives however; had no fertility problem and were submitted ovarian induction protocol. However; Sperm preparation was done using both, the centrifugation indirect swim-up technique with Global medium and density gradient with ALLGrad solution. While ALLGrad 45% is a ready-to-be-used upper layer. There was an acceleration in seminal parameters after preparation using both various techniques. So, a highly significant increment (P≤0.001) in the percentages of progressive forward motility was in grades (A and B) and grade (A) progressive sperm motility, also a significant enhancement (P≤0.05) in percentage of morphologically normal sperms when applying density gradient mechanism in relation to centrifugation swim-up technique. This study concludes that the use of density gradient mechanism with ALLGrad solution and Global culture medium are more efficient in achieving better percentages of progressive forward motility grades (A and B), grade (A) progressive motility and morphologically normal values of spermatozoa than centrifugation indirect swim-up technique by using Global culture medium. However, it was found there was a non-significant difference when we use both techniques concerning other sperm parameters.
Pro-fusion proteins as mitofusins-1 are required for controlling mitochondrial shape which determined by a dynamic balance between organelle fusion and fission and also supports oocyte development. When compare with somatic cell, mitochondria of oocyte are tiny and circular in presence. The aim is to study the mitofusin-1 in the follicular fluid as a marker for evaluating of oocyte maturation in women undergoing ICSI cycles. Fifty infertile females were included in cross-section study was undergoing ICSI procedure with age 20 to 42 years. After retrieval of oocyte and the number of oocytes was recorded by embryologist and follicular fluid Samples were used for the measurement of Mitofusin 1. Mitofusin 1 levels by ELISA kit (Mybiosource /USA).The results showed considerable higher mitofusin-1levels in patients with good oocytes quality (3.71 ± 1.35 vs. 2.45 ± 1.12 & p=0.001). There were much positive correlations between follicular fluids mitofusin-1 with both total oocytes count (r= 0.374 & p= 0.007) and MII oocytes (r=0.383 & p=0.006); and there was no much correlation between mitofusin-1 levels with MI oocyte (r= - 0.100 & p= 0.490), germinal vesical oocyte (r=0.103 & p= 0.475) and fertilization rate (r= 0.054 & p= 0.711). High follicular fluid levels of Mitofusin 1 may positively impact oocyte development and pregnancy rate.