Effect of evaporation-induced osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator on clinical outcomes in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles.

Objective: This study investigated whether adding outer-well medium to inhibit osmotic changes in culture media in a dry-type incubator improved the clinical outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles.

Methods: In culture dishes, the osmotic changes in media (20 µL)-covered oil with or without outer-well medium (humid or dry culture conditions, respectively) were compared after 3 days of incubation in a dry-type incubator. One-step (Origio) and G1/G2 (Vitrolife) media were used.

Early fragment removal on fertilization day 2 significantly improves the subsequent development and clinical outcomes of fragmented human embryos.

Objective: To determine whether fragment removal on fertilization (IVF) day 2 improved the subsequent development and pregnancy outcomes of fragmented embryos compared to similar-grade embryos without fragment removal.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis involving 191 IVF cycles in which all embryos had over 10% fragmentation (grade 3 or 4) on day 2 of the IVF-embryo transfer cycle from March 2015 to December 2017. IVF cycles were divided into the fragment removal group (n=87) and the no fragment removal group (n=104) as a control cohort.

ICSI significantly improved the pregnancy rate of patients with a high sperm DNA fragmentation index.

Objective: Correlations between semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were investigated to identify characteristics of sperm without DNA damage that could be used in selecting sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Pregnancy outcomes were compared to determine whether fertilization (IVF) or ICSI is a better choice for patients who have sperm with a high-DFI.

Methods: Semen analysis was carried out in 388 patients who visited our IVF center for the first time to investigate correlations between sperm DFI and semen parameters.

Efficient isolation of sperm with high DNA integrity and stable chromatin packaging by a combination of density-gradient centrifugation and magnetic-activated cell sorting.

Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the correlations of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with semen parameters and apoptosis, and to investigate the effects of density-gradient centrifugation (DGC) and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) on reducing the proportion of sperm with DNA fragmentation and protamine deficiency.

Methods: Semen analysis and a sperm DNA fragmentation assay were performed to assess the correlations between semen parameters and the DFI in 458 semen samples. Sperm with progressive motility or non-apoptosis were isolated by DGC or MACS, respectively, in 29 normozoospermic semen samples.