TESTING THE MUTAGENIC POTENTIAL OF POLYVINYLPYRROLIDONE AND METHYL CELLULOSE BY SISTER-CHROMATID EXCHANGE ANALYSIS PRIOR TO USE IN INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION PROCEDURES

The treatment of infertility due to severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermi a has been revolutionized by the introduction of the technique of intr acytoplasmic sperm injection. However, techniques which involve inject ion into the oocyte of polyvinylpyrrolidone solution as a vehicle for the selected spermatozoon have caused concern since the possible harmf ul effects of polyvinylpyrrolidone have not been fully investigated. T his study was performed to investigate the potential mutagenic effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone on cultured human somatic cells, at the concen tration used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, in addition to a po ssible alternative vehicle, methyl cellulose, using the technique of s ister chromatid exchange analysis. The results showed no increase in t he basal frequency of sister chromatid exchanges with polyvinylpyrroli done (median 5.0, 95% interval 5.00-6.00) or with methyl cellulose (me dian 6.0, 95% interval 4.22-6.00) in comparison with the negative cont rol (saline: median 6.0, 95% interval 5.00-7.00), and in contrast to t he positive control (mitomycin C: median 25.0, 95% interval 22.23-28.7 7). This finding suggests that polyvinylpyrrolidone and methyl cellulo se do not cause DNA lesions resulting in sister chromatid exchanges, a nd provides reassuring evidence concerning their use in sperm injectio n procedures.