Glass wool column filtration of human semen: relation to swim-up procedure and outcome of IVF.

The number and viability of spermatozoa recovered by glass wool column filtration and a swim-up procedure were compared using different types of ejaculates, such as normal, asthenozoospermic and very viscous oligozoospermic semen. The filtration procedure resulted in significantly (P less than 0.01) higher recovery of viable spermatozoa than the swim-up procedure from all types of ejaculates studied. Further, the spermatozoa from 50 (78.1%) of the 64 ejaculates filtered through glass wool column fertilized at least one intact human egg in an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure. It is concluded that glass wool column filtration is superior to the swim-up procedure since it yields a higher recovery of viable spermatozoa that are potentially fertile. Therefore, the glass wool column filtration procedure used to prepare spermatozoa may be of benefit for IVF, intra-uterine insemination, in-vitro fertilization and GIFT (gamete intra-Fallopian transfer), especially in cases of poor quality semen.