The effect of pentoxifylline on in-vitro fertilization in the presence of anti-sperm antibodies

Does in vitro application of pentoxifylline have beneficial effects in assisted male reproduction?

Application of nonspecific phosphodiesterases inhibitors, such as pentoxifylline (PTX), is a strategy utilised to aid sperm selection from immotile sperm samples prior to ICSI. No extensive studies have yet been performed to verify the safety of the clinical outcomes of ICSI after PTX administration. In this article, we summarise the data reported in the literature that assess the implication of in vitro usage of PTX on sperm parameters, as well as clinical outcomes during assisted male reproduction programme.

Efficacy of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment in the immunological infertile patients

PROBLEM

To evaluate the efficacy of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment in the immunological infertile patients.

METHODS

The subjects were 60 cycles of 44 immunological infertile patients and these clinical data were analysed, retrospectively. They were classified into female and male immunological infertility group and were treated with conventional IVF, ICSI, and half-ICSI.

RESULTS

The fertilization rate of ICSI (60.3%) and half-ICSI (60.7%) cycles were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than conventional IVF (42.6%) cycles. In the male immunological infertility group, fertilization rate was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in ICSI (60.7%) and half-ICSI (66.7%) cycles than in conventional IVF (27.4%) cycles and clinical pregnancy rate was higher in ICSI (54.5%) and half ICSI (33.3%) than in conventional IVF (25.0%) cycles.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that ICSI treatment is highly effective method to improve fertilization and pregnancy rate in IVF-ET program of male immunological infertility.