Understanding the sperm separation principles used in assisted reproductive technology as a turning point for biomedical students

The separation of mammalian spermatozoa from seminal plasma is a practice routinely used in assisted reproductive technology applications and in sperm biomedical studies. The sperm isolation method is critically important for clinicians preparing sperm samples to be used in reproductive biotechnologies, veterinary medicine and animal husbandry. This practice has been used for several years in the course Sperm Biology that we offer to postgraduate students. One advantage of this practice is that it can be adapted to undergraduate courses by reducing the number of analyses performed after the selection process, and thus the number of laboratory sessions, required equipment, time and expenses. The protocol includes not only the picture of the execution of the basic sperm selection method but also introduces students to the use of essential techniques to assess the yield of the process, in terms of both recovered sperm concentration and quality. The following parameters will be assayed: cell concentration, viability and apoptotic markers, mitochondrial activity, sperm metabolic activity and certain enzymes of the antioxidant defense system essential for normal fertility.