title: Fertilization through spermatozoal microinjection: significance of acrosome reaction.
abstract: Acrosome-reacted spermatozoa were microinjected into the perivitelline space of mouse oocytes. After 2 h incubation in culture medium containing lactate and albumin, spermatozoa were transferred into culture medium containing 12 mM of dibutyryl cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (dbcGMP) and 10 mM imidazole for 20 min. One motile spermatozoon was injected into the perivitelline space of each oocyte. Fertilization was recognized by the presence of a second polar body and two pronuclei. The overall fertilization rate was 19.6% in the case of dbcGMP-treated spermatozoa as compared to 5.3% for non-treated spermatozoa. Thus, acrosome-reacted motile spermatozoa improve the fertilization rate of sperm microinjection. Sperm microinjection may be a method to foster fertility in cases of oligo-/asthenozoospermia in human in-vitro fertilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kiel University, FRG.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mettler
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome; D000818:Animals; D003470:Culture Media; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008845:Microinjections; D013094:Spermatozoa
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media