New microinsemination techniques for laboratory animals.
Since the development of a reliable mouse intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) technique in 1995, microinsemination techniques have been widely applied in several laboratory species. As gametes and embryos have specific biological and biochemical features according to the species, technical improvements are necessary for successful microinsemination that subsequently leads to normal fetal development in several species. Recent advanced reproductive research involving genetic engineering often depends on microinsemination techniques that require a high degree of skill, and new human assisted reproductive technology (ART) requires experimental models using laboratory animals. The accumulation of technical improvements in these fields should accelerate the development of microinsemination techniques in mammals, including humans.
Ogura
A
A
Bioresource Center, RIKEN, 3-1-1, Koyadai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan. ogura@rtc.riken.go.jp
Ogonuki
N
N
Inoue
K
K
Mochida
K
K
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000662:veterinary*; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000637:transplantation; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013093:Spermatogonia; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells