Sperm Vitality

Sperm Vitality By Dye Exclusion

Vital staining of the spermatozoa allows quantification of the fraction of living cells independently of their motility. Live and dead sperm are distinguished by adding Eosin & Nigrosin.

This staining technique makes it possible to differentiate spermatozoa that are immotile but alive from those that are dead. Reduced percentage of motility with a high percentage of viable sperm may reflect structural or metabolic abnormalities of sperm that are derived from abnormalities in testicular function or antimotility factors in the seminal plasma.

This technique also provides a check on the accuracy of the motility evaluation, since the percentage of dead cells should not exceed the percentage of immotile spermatozoa.