title: Micromanipulation of mouse gametes with laser microbeam and optical tweezers.
abstract: Micromanipulation of mouse gametes with a commercially available compact laser microbeam system was studied. Both the normal in-vitro fertilization (IVF) group and the laser zona dissection (LZD) group were tested under normal (2 x 10(6) motile spermatozoa/ml) and low (500,000 motile spermatozoa/ml) insemination conditions. Subzonal insemination (SUZI) was also tried in a small group of gametes and the results were compared with those of the low insemination groups. Fertilization rates and blastocyst formation rates for the IVF and the LZD-treated groups were respectively 53 and 60% and 60 and 78%, which were not significantly different. However, under low insemination conditions, the results were significantly better in the LZD-treated group (58% fertilization rate and 83% blastocyst formation rate) compared to the results of the IVF group (33 and 48%) (P < 0.05). The SUZI-treated group showed the lowest fertilization rate (18%). No significant difference between the LZD and the IVF group was observed with respect to parthenogenetic activation. LZD has a beneficial effect on fertilization rates in cases of reduced sperm quality.
authors.affiliation: Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, UCL, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, IVF Unit, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Enginsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schütze
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellanca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pensis
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bassil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Donnez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gordts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology; D007259:Infrared Rays; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008846:Micromanipulation; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012016:Reference Values; D013076:Sperm Count; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000528:radiation effects*