BENEFICIAL-EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION BEFORE ROUND SPERMATID NUCLEI INJECTIONS INTO RABBIT OOCYTES ON FERTILIZATION AND SUBSEQUENT EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT
Nv. Sofikitis et al., BENEFICIAL-EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION BEFORE ROUND SPERMATID NUCLEI INJECTIONS INTO RABBIT OOCYTES ON FERTILIZATION AND SUBSEQUENT EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT, Fertility and sterility, 65(1), 1996, pp. 176-185
Objective: To evaluate the effects of electrical stimulation of rabbit
oocytes before round spermatid nuclear injection procedure on oocyte
activation and fertilization. Design: The ratio of activated oocytes t
o the number of successfully injected oocytes and the proportion of of
fspring to the number of activated oocytes after round spermatid nucle
ar injections into oocytes stimulated via mechanical stimulation (grou
p A) or a combination of electrical and mechanical stimulation (group
B) was compared. Interventions: Round spermatid nuclei were isolated f
rom mature male rabbits and microinjected into the oocytes of groups A
and B. Injected oocytes were cultured for 24 hours. The embryos devel
oped from groups A and B were transferred to synchronized recipient do
es. Results: Embryos that developed normally through implantation in g
roups A and B were carried successfully through complete gestation in
the recipient does. The ratio of the activated oocytes to the number o
f successfully injected oocytes and the proportion of offspring to the
number of activated oocytes were significantly higher in group B. Con
clusion: Electrical stimulation of oocytes before ooplasmic spermatid
nuclear injections and ET procedures has beneficial effects on oocyte
activation, fertilization, and subsequent embryonic development.