Received April 02, 2017
Accepted July 29, 2017

Objective: In assisted reproduction procedures we need to develop and enhance new protocols to optimize the sperm selection in assisted reproduction procedures. The aim of this work is to evaluate the ability of the Z potential technique to select sperms with intact DNA in non-normospermic patients and evaluate the impact of this selection on embryonic development. Methods: We analyzed a total of 174 human seminal samples with at least one altered parameter. We measured basal, post density gradients, and post density gradients + Z potential DNA fragmentation index. To evaluate the impact of this technique on embryo development, 54 cases were selected. The embryo development parameters evaluated were fertilization rate, cleavage rate, top quality embryos at the third day and blastocysts rate. Results: We found significant differences in the studied groups when we compare the sperm fragmentation index by adding the Z potential technique to density gradient selection vs. density gradients solely. Furthermore, there is no significant difference in the embryo development parameters between low sperm fragmentation index group vs. moderate and high sperm fragmentation index groups when selecting sperms with this new technique. Conclusions: Z potential technique is a very useful tool for sperm selection; it significantly reduces the DNA fragmentation index and improves the parameters of embryo development. This technique could be considered routine for its simplicity and low cost.