Effect of Catheter Composition on Sperm Quality

Bladder catheterization for collection of retrograde ejaculates is commonly practiced, although previous studies have shown that materials used in the manufacture of the catheters may be toxic to sperm. Potential toxicity is particularly relevant to elec- troejaculation, as sperm from anejaculatory individuals undergoing this procedure characteristically exhibit poor motility and viability. To determine the effect of short-term exposure to various catheter ma- tenals on sperm quality, donor semen was diluted with BWW medium and aliquots incubated for 1 and 5 minutes with segments of four different catheters. The catheters were composed of latex, silicone rubber, polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), and radio-opaque Teflon, respectively. Following incubation, eosin-nigrosin staining for via- bility was performed and sperm motility assessed using computer- assisted sperm analysis (Ceilsoft, Cryo Resources, Ltd). In the sec- ond phase of the study, donor semen was incubated with catheter segments coated with 0.3 ml of a water-soluble, nontoxic lubricant (Cellulosagel, Lederle) to evaluate whether the combination adverse- ly affects sperm. Percent motility and viability for the semen speci- mens incubated with the four catheters alone did not differ signifi- cantly from control values either at 1 or at 5 minutes (P= 0.3, motility; P = 0.6, viability). The addition of lubricant did not change the cath- eter data significantly, indicating the absence of independent or syn- ergistic toxicity (P = 0.5, motility; P = 0.4, viability). This study provides substantial evidence that brief exposure to conventional catheters, with or without a nontoxic lubricant, does not adversely affect sperm motility or viability. In the setting of electroejaculation, then, use of catheters of varying composition with a sperm-com- patible lubricant would not be expected to have a detrimental effect