[ICSI causes abnormal H3K9 methylation in the male pronuclei and growth retardation of mouse embryos].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in the mouse model.


METHODS
We simulated clinical ICSI technology and comprehensively evaluated it by parthenogenetic activation, immunofluorescence, embryo transplantation, examination of early implantation, and measurement of the crown-rump length (CRL).


RESULTS
ICSI significantly reduced the ability of preimplantation embryo development of the mouse, especially after the 8-cell stage (P < 0.01). The fluorescence of H3K9 dimethylation was abnormal at the male pronuclei of the embryos derived from ICSI. Further examination of the development of the transferred ICSI embryos indicated no significant difference in the rate of early implantation at E5. 5 days as compared with normal fertilization (P = 0.6), but the percentage of "normal embryos" was decreased significantly at E9.5 days (P < 0.01). Obvious growth retardation phenotype was observed even in the normal ICSI embryos at E9.5 days.


CONCLUSIONS
ICSI might result in growth retardation of embryos by affecting H3K9 dimethylation in the male pronuclei.
Shaanxi Institute for Food and Drug Control, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710065, China.
Na
N
Tang
Xiao-Hong
XH
Wang
Xin-Xin
XX
Liang
Jian-Bo
JB
Li
Dong
D
Wang
Yuan
Y
Liu
Bo
B
Li
D000818:Animals; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism*; D056484:Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011247:Pregnancy; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000009:adverse effects*
D006657:Histones; D056484:Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases