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. 2016 Apr;33(4):529-34.
doi: 10.1007/s10815-016-0660-1. Epub 2016 Jan 22.

Oxidative stress level in fresh ejaculate is not related to semen parameters or to pregnancy rates in cycles with donor oocytes

Aïda Pujol  1 , Albert Obradors  1 , Erica Esteo  1 , Beatriz Costilla  1 , Désireé García  2 , Valerie Vernaeve  1 , Rita Vassena  3
Affiliations

Oxidative stress level in fresh ejaculate is not related to semen parameters or to pregnancy rates in cycles with donor oocytes

Aïda Pujol et al. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2016 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to study the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) in semen, semen characteristics, and reproductive outcomes in oocyte donation intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Methods: OS was measured in 132 semen samples.

Results: OS levels were as follows: very high (1.5 %), high (43.2 %), low (30.3 %), and very low (25.0 %). Overall seminal parameters were as follows: volume (ml) = 4.2 (SD 2.1), concentration (millions/ml) = 61.6 (SD 59.8), motility (a+b%) = 47.4 (SD 18.0), and normal spermatozoa (%) = 8.2 (SD 5.1). Of the 101 cycles that reached embryo transfer, 55.4 % evolved in biochemical, 46.5 % in clinical, and 43.6 % in ongoing pregnancy. OS level does not relate to seminal parameters, fertilization rate, or pregnancy outcomes.

Conclusions: OS testing by nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) in fresh ejaculate might not be useful for all patients. Reproductive results with young oocytes and ICSI do not seem to be affected by OS-level semen.

Keywords: ICSI; Oocyte donation; Oxidative stress; Pregnancy rates; Sperm.

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