Japanese society of Ova Research

Abstract

Vol.17 No.1

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Comparison of Capacitation and Fertilizing Ability of BALB/c and ICR Mouse Epididymal Spermatozoa: Analysis by In Vitro Fertilization with Cumulus-intact and Zona-free Mouse Eggs
JMOR, 17(1) 9-14, 2000
DOI: 10.1274/jmor.17.9
Research Center for Protozoan Molecular Immunology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan #Present address: Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.

The in vitro capacitation and fertilizing ability of epididymal spermatozoa of BALB/c and ICR mice were compared. The capacitation rate of spermatozoa from BALB/c was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that of those from ICR mice when examined by chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence assay after 1 and 2 h of preincubation. An in vitro fertilization technique has revealed that the time taken for sperm penetration into intact and zonafree eggs was longer for BALB/c than for ICR spermatozoa (P<0.01). Fertilization rates for spermatozoa from BALB/c mice were significantly (P<0.01) lower than for spermatozoa from ICR regardless of the type of eggs (BALB/c, ICR). These results suggest that the low fertilizing ability of epididymal spermatozoa from BALB/c mice is associated with a lower efficiency of capacitation in vitro.

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