J Reprod Infert

arij001

Journal of Reproduction & Infertility

2228-5482 2251-676X

Avicenna Research Institute

jri30046

Effect of Artificial Oocyte Activation on Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection Outcomes in Patients with Lower Percentage of Sperm Containing Phospholipase Cζ: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Nazarian

Hamid

Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Azad

Nahid

Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranDepartment of Reproductive Biology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran

Nazari

Leila

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Preventative Gynecology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Piryaei

Abbas

Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranUrogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Heidari

Mohammad Hassan

Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Masteri Farahani

Reza

Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Karimi

Maryam

Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Ghaffari Novin

Marefat

Infertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

20 1 03 10 28 9 2018 24 11 2018

Background: Artificial oocyte activation (AOA) is a specialized method in assisted reproductive technique (ART). According to increasing concern about using AOA, it is necessary to evaluate sperm-borne oocyte activating factors (SOAFs) including phospholipase C zeta (PLCζ). In this study, PLCζ before AOA was evaluated first and then the impact of AOA on pre-implantation embryo development was investigated. Methods: This prospective clinical trial enrolled couples subjected to ICSI. By evaluating PLCζ, semen samples were categorized into two groups; I (Control) and II (PLCζ deficient). Retrieved oocytes from partners were put into three categories: control group (Injected with sperm from group I, n=113), group without AOA (Injected with sperm from group II and no exposure to AOA, n=106), and group AOA (Injected with sperm from group II and exposure to AOA, n=114). Finally, fertilization results were compared via Kruskal-Wallis followed by Dunn’s multiple comparison test. The p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Fertilization rate was significantly lower in the group without AOA compared to control group (41.9±6.3 vs. 78.1±4.7, p<0.001). AOA improved fertilization rate in group AOA compared to the group without AOA (69.5±3.9 vs. 41.9±6.3, p<0.01); however, cleavage (91.7±2.8, 90.9±4.6, and 95.2±3.4, respectively) and embryo quality (2.5±0.1, 2.3±0.2, and 2.4±0.2, respectively) scores were not substantially different between groups of control, with and without AOA. Conclusion: We showed that PLCζ can be considered as a good biomarker in evaluation of oocyte activation capability. Further studies are required to establish the best use of PLCζ as a biomarker in clinics.