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FRAGMENTATION

Halosperm® SCD technology allows the measurement of sperm DNA fragmentation in a fast and easy way, without the need for complex equipment.

The evaluation of sperm DNA integrity, together with other sperm quality parameters, provides medical professionals with important information to select the most appropriate treatment for a couple that wishes to get pregnant.

The family of Halosperm® kits facilitates a clear look at the quality of spermatozoa DNA, as well as their longevity. These parameters are independent of the information obtained from a conventional semen analysis.
The evaluation of sperm DNA fragmentation is highly recommended as a step prior to fertilisation of the egg, and can help avoid unnecessary costs as well as episodes of frustration for the couple.
The DNA of cells may be damaged through various mechanisms and/or processes. Therefore, its evaluation is of the utmost importance at the start of any fertilisation process. The success or failure of a pregnancy depends in large part on the integrity of the paternal genome.

The sperm chromatin dispersion technique (SCD; patented method) is based on a controlled DNA denaturation process to facilitate the subsequent removal of the proteins contained in each spermatozoon. In this way, normal spermatozoa create halos formed by loops of DNA at the head of the sperm, which are not present in those with damaged DNA.

The images of halos generated with Halosperm® are highly contrasted and can be evaluated precisely using conventional or fluorescent microscopy. The tails of the spermatozoa are preserved, so it is possible to discriminate them from other cell types that might be present in the ejaculate, such as leukocytes. In addition, Halosperm® allows the visualisation of spermatozoa that contain highly degraded DNA compared to other types of less aggressive damage. This fact is of great importance in the diagnosis and monitoring of varicocele.


EASY TO USE

Halosperm® starts with a denaturing treatment for the DNA molecule containing breaks in the genetic information. After this rapid step, a lysis solution will eliminate most of the nuclear proteins.

EASY TO DISCERN

Spermatozoa with normal DNA generate large halos at the head of the spermatozoon; those with broken DNA do not present this halo, or it is very small.

  1. Dilution of spermatozoa and formation of an agarose microgel on the slide (15 minutes).
  2. Treatment of the microgel/sample with a denaturing acid and application of the lysis solution (30 minutes)
  3. Washing and dehydration (* staining steps not included; 10 minutes)