THE EFFECTS OF VERO (GREEN MONKEY KIDNEY) CELL COCULTURE ON THE MOTILITY PATTERNS OF CRYOPRESERVED HUMAN SPERMATOZOA

Objective: To determine the effects of Vero (a primate, urogenital epi thelium-derived cell line) cell monolayer coculture on cryopreserved h uman sperm function in vitro. Design: Prospective, controlled investig ation in which cryopreserved semen specimens were thawed, processed, a nd then simultaneously exposed to control media (Dulbecco's modified E agle's medium with either 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum [FBS ] or 10% heat-inactivated pooled human sera [PHS]) or the same media w ith the addition of confluent Vero cell monolayers. A second series of investigations was also performed to study the effect of Vero cell co nditioned media (CM). Setting: In vitro fertilization/andrology servic e of tertiary center. Patients: Donors with normal semen parameters. I nterventions: Coculture of human spermatozoa with Vero cell monolayers or Vero cell CM. Main Outcome Measures: General and hyperactivated (H A) motility patterns, multifactor, repeated measures ANOVA. Results: G eneral sperm motility parameters, including percentage motility, mean velocity, and mean amplitude of lateral head displacement were signifi cantly greater than controls in the Vero cell monolayer-FBS group at 6 hours and in both the Vero cell monolayer-FBS and Vero cell monolayer -PHS groups by 24 hours. Hyperactivated motility was increased after 3 hours in the Vero cell monolayer-FBS coculture group. A significant d ecrease in the total sperm concentration over the time course of the s tudy in the Vero cell monolayer, but not the control or Vero CM groups , was also noted. Vero CM did not exert significant effects on any spe rm motility parameter, in spite of a sample size sufficient to detect relevant increases with a power of 0.80. Conclusions: Vero cell monola yers have a positive influence on cryopreserved sperm function as asse ssed by general and HA motility patterns. Epithelial cell to spermatoz oon contact seems to be important in this process.