Development of cat embryos produced by intracytoplasmic injection of spermatozoa stored in alcohol

Reprod Domest Anim. 2005 Dec;40(6):511-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2005.00617.x.

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine whether cat spermatozoa stored in ethanol for 1 month was capable of developing into pronuclei and of supporting normal embryonic development. In vitro matured oocytes were injected with frozen-thawed spermatozoa and ethanol-stored spermatozoa. The status of oocytes and sperm nuclei was examined at 4 and 18 h after injection of spermatozoa, and the presumptive zygotes were cultured for 7 days to assess the development of oocytes injected with each storage sperm. The percentage of enlarged sperm head at 4 h after injection was higher in ethanol-stored spermatozoa than in frozen-thawed spermatozoa, but there was no significant difference in the development of oocytes and sperm nuclei at 18 h after injection between the two groups. The development of oocytes to the blastocyst stage after injection of spermatozoa was observed only in oocytes with frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Of oocytes injected with ethanol-stored spermatozoa, two (2.8%) oocytes developed to the 16-cell stage. These results indicate that cat spermatozoa stored in ethanol can decondense and form male pronuclei after intracytoplasmic injection. However, the oocytes injected with ethanol-stored spermatozoa did not have the ability to develop to the blastocyst stage.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blastocyst / physiology
  • Cats / embryology*
  • Cats / physiology
  • Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Cell Nucleus / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Ethanol / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Oocytes* / drug effects
  • Oocytes* / physiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Semen Preservation / methods
  • Semen Preservation / veterinary*
  • Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / methods
  • Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / veterinary*
  • Spermatozoa / physiology

Substances

  • Ethanol