INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION IN THE MOUSE

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was successful in the mouse wh en a piezo-driven micropipette was used instead of a mechanically driv en conventional pipette. Eighty percent of sperm-injected oocytes surv ived, and approximately 70% of them developed into blastocysts in vitr o. When 106 embryos at the 2- to 4-cell stage were transferred to eigh t naturally mated foster mothers, 30% of the embryos (25-43%, dependin g on the host) reached the full term. Except for two that were canniba lized soon after birth, all of the young (30 pups) grew into normal ad ults. Studies of this type on the mouse may increase understanding of the fertilization process and of how ICSI works.