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Effect of freezing on the relative escape force of sperm as measured by a laser optical trap*†*Presented at the 8th World Congress of In Vitro Fertilization and Alternate Assisted Reproduction, Kyoto, Japan, September 11 to 15, 1993.†Supported by grant RR-01192 from the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; by grant 000-14-91-C-0134 from the Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia; and by grant DE-FG03-91 ER 61227 from the Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.
Abstract
Objective
To determine the possible effect of freezing on sperm escape force as measured by laser trap.Design
Controlled clinical study.Setting
Normal volunteers, academic setting.Patients
Normal, healthy volunteers.Intervention
Sperm selection, freezing and thawing. Measurement of relative (sperm) escape force before and after freezing.Main outcome measure
Comparison of escape force as a measurement of freezing effects.Results
Wide individual variations noted, with some individuals showing significant increases or decreases. The relative escape force in fresh (76.1 +/- 31.1 mW) and in frozen-thawed samples (75.6 +/- 40.0 mW) were similar.Conclusion
Freezing does not affect the relative escape force of normal sperm. Any possible detrimental effect of freezing on sperm may be related to other sperm functions.Many UC-authored scholarly publications are freely available on this site because of the UC's open access policies. Let us know how this access is important for you.