Effects of a continuous percoil gradient procedure for sperm separation

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a continuous 80% Percoll density gradient procedure for sperm separation to the ratio of X-bearing sperm and the frequency of disomic sperm for chromosome 18. Semen samples were obtained from normal three donors. Controls and processed sperms (80% percoll fraction) were subjected to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis with DNA probes. FISH was carried out with X-specific DNA probe (DXZ1) and chromosome 18 specific DNA probe (D18Z1). The X-bearing sperm rate of controls ranged from 48.0% to 53.7%. The X-bearing sperm rate of processed spermatozoa ranged from 50.3% to 58.2%. A significantly higher frequency of X-bearing sperm was observed in Percoll washed spermatozoa of one subject (the X-bearing sperm frequency was 48.0: 58.2). No significant difference was found between control sperm and processed sperm for each donor in the distribution of disomy of chromosome 18.