TY - JOUR
T1 - Application of a 1.48-μm diode laser for bisecting oocytes into two identical hemizonae for the hemizona assay
AU - Edenfeld, J.
AU - Schöpper, B.
AU - Sturm, R.
AU - Diedrich, K.
AU - Al-Hasani, S.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Laser systems are very promising new technical tools in assisted reproduction. It was investigated if laser radiation can replace the mechanical cutting procedure via micromanipulator in the hemizona assay (HZA), a commonly used bioassay to determine the sperm-zona pellucida binding capacity. An oocyte was bisected precisely into two identical hemizonae with approximately 20 laser pulses (pulse length 30 msec) using a 1.48-μm diode laser. Compared with the conventional method using microscalpels for zona bisection, laser treated hemizonae showed equivalent sperm-binding and within the two groups there was no detectable difference between matching hemizonae in their capacity for tight sperm-binding. To evaluate whether laser radiation affects the outcome of the HZA when effects of certain substances are investigated, the spermatozoa were preincubated with human follicular fluid (hFF), which inhibits the binding of spermatozoa to zona pellucida in vitro. Supplementation with follicular fluid exerted an inhibitory effect in both groups. The hemizona index (HZI) showed no statistical differences between the two methods. Therefore, the 1.48-μm diode laser is a suitable new instrument for generating equally sized hemizonae. There is no use for holding pipettes and microscalpels, on the contrary, for performing the HZA the laser is a precise, very quick and easy to use new working tool.
AB - Laser systems are very promising new technical tools in assisted reproduction. It was investigated if laser radiation can replace the mechanical cutting procedure via micromanipulator in the hemizona assay (HZA), a commonly used bioassay to determine the sperm-zona pellucida binding capacity. An oocyte was bisected precisely into two identical hemizonae with approximately 20 laser pulses (pulse length 30 msec) using a 1.48-μm diode laser. Compared with the conventional method using microscalpels for zona bisection, laser treated hemizonae showed equivalent sperm-binding and within the two groups there was no detectable difference between matching hemizonae in their capacity for tight sperm-binding. To evaluate whether laser radiation affects the outcome of the HZA when effects of certain substances are investigated, the spermatozoa were preincubated with human follicular fluid (hFF), which inhibits the binding of spermatozoa to zona pellucida in vitro. Supplementation with follicular fluid exerted an inhibitory effect in both groups. The hemizona index (HZI) showed no statistical differences between the two methods. Therefore, the 1.48-μm diode laser is a suitable new instrument for generating equally sized hemizonae. There is no use for holding pipettes and microscalpels, on the contrary, for performing the HZA the laser is a precise, very quick and easy to use new working tool.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036219183&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-2605.2002.00332.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-2605.2002.00332.x
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 11903659
AN - SCOPUS:0036219183
SN - 0105-6263
VL - 25
SP - 100
EP - 105
JO - International Journal of Andrology
JF - International Journal of Andrology
IS - 2
ER -