OUTCOME OF IN-VITRO CULTURE OF FRESH AND FROZEN-THAWED HUMAN TESTICULAR SPERMATOZOA

The effect of in-vitro culture on the motility and morphology of fresh and frozen-thawed human testicular spermatozoa obtained from obstruct ive azoospermic patients and on the motility of testicular spermatozoa obtained from nonobstructive azoospermic patients was evaluated, The outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fresh and froz en-thawed human testicular spermatozoa was studied, The results showed that significant improvement of sperm morphology and motility was obs erved in culture of fresh (n = 17) and frozen-thawed (n = 15) testicul ar sperm samples obtained from patients with obstructive azoospermia, The motility of cultured testicular spermatozoa reached a peak at 72 h without the need for special media, In six of 20 samples obtained fro m patients with non-obstructive azoospermia, improvement of sperm moti lity was observed, When only non-motile testicular spermatozoa mere cu ltured, they all remained non-motile (n = 9). In patients with obstruc tive azoospermia, fertilization rates of 80 and 81% were obtained usin g ICSI with fresh and frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa respectivel y, Clinical pregnancies were observed in four out of nine patients wit h fresh testicular spermatozoa and two out of five patients after usin g frozen-thawed spermatozoa, When fresh testicular spermatozoa obtaine d from patients with non-obstructive azoospermia were used for ICSI, t he fertilization rate was 68% and two out of seven patients achieved c linical pregnancies, In conclusion, the morphology and motility of fre sh and frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa in patients with obstructi ve azoospermia can be significantly improved after in-vitro culture, T he outcome of in-vitro culture of testicular spermatozoa in patients w ith non-obstructive azoospermia is unpredictable. In-vitro culture of non-motile testicular spermatozoa is not successful so far, The outcom e of ICSI with fresh and with frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa was similar.