Assessment of sperm function for IVF.

Recent advances in our ability to understand and manipulate the fundamental mechanisms regulating human sperm function have led to the development of a new generation of diagnostic techniques, designed to give objective data on the functional competence of human spermatozoa. These techniques have proved to be of value in predicting the ability of patients' spermatozoa to fertilize the human ovum in vitro and in the evaluation of techniques and reagents of relevance to the therapeutic application of IVF, including sperm preparation protocols and reagents for the artificial enhancement of sperm function. Moreover the use of sperm function tests has shed light on the biochemical nature of the lesions present in the spermatozoa of subfertile males, with particular emphasis on the role played by reactive oxygen species. As a result of such studies we are now in a position to adopt a more rational approach to the development of modified IVF protocols for the treatment of male infertility.