Ultrastructural comparison of human spermatozoa along a Percoll density gradient.

We studied the possible deleterious effects of Percoll gradient centrifugation processing on spermatozoal integrity in 18 semen samples from patients participating in our IVF program, using optical and electron microscopy. Substantial recovery by sperm count was obtained in the 100% Percoll layer (32%), with greater numbers of motile, alive spermatozoa (P < .01). Whether samples studied were from fertile or infertile men, no significant differences, using nonparametric tests with transmission electron microscopy, appeared in spermatozoal membranes, acrosomes, or nuclei either before or after Percoll treatment. No deleterious effects of Percoll use on spermatozoa were detected during the study.