Development of motile sperm sorting system by control of sperm motility

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12069
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science
• Principal Investigator: MATSUURA Koji 岡山理科大学, 工学部, 准教授 (70443223)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高田 耕児 富山県産業技術研究開発センター, その他部局等, 主任研究員 (40530621)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 精子運動性 / マイクロデバイス / 酸化還元指示薬

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We used a particle size sorting microfluidic chip, and could not motile sperm sorting using the microfluidic chip due to low hydrodynamic diameter of motile sperm. We also tried to develop a microfluidic device containing a dissolving film to recover motile sperm by taxis and temperature control system for utilizing themotaxis of sperm. However, these prototype devices did not work well. To evaluate motility control mechanism in mammalian sperm, we found expression of enzymes related to glycolysis in human sperm. Some results using paper-based microfluidic device with redox indicator suggests the relationship between the redox reactivities of the indicators and of related redox enzymes in the sperms. In future, we will evaluate relationship between motility and enzyme reactivity for energy production in sperm cells, and develop a condition that mammalian sperms can maintain their motility for several hours.

Free Research Field

生体医工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

運動精子回収数を増加するデバイスの開発を進めているが、今回用いたマイクロデバイスではその回収数を著しく増加できるような効果が得られず、別の原理を検討すべきと判断した。
精子運動活性の試験紙デバイスを用いた評価については、試薬と精子の反応とメカニズムについて検証する方向性が定まった。精子のエネルギー輸送に着目して、精子運動に関する酵素活性の評価方法が発見されれば、自然な受精や人工授精の成否が以前よりも高い確率で予測できる。