Intracytoplasmic sperm injection into oocytes matured in vitro and early embryonic development in the owl monkey (Aotus lemurinus)

Abstract

Although we successfully produced owl monkey embryos after ICSI, the embryos did not develop to the blastocyst stage. Many parameters need to be studied further, including superovulation, selection of culture media, and selection of good quality sperm in order to achieve successful ICSI in the owl monkey.

Ultrasonography‐guided oocyte recovery in owl monkeys (aotus azarai infulatus)

“…To date, the only oocyte recovery method described for Aotus is based on euthanasia collection. This method limits the biotechnologies that require oocyte recovery, harms the NHP colonies, and threatens conservation 7 . The present study describes a technique of oocytes retrieval in owl monkeys using ultrasound‐guided ovum retrieval.…”

Successful blastocyst production by intracytoplasmic injection of sperm after <i>in vitro</i> maturation of follicular oocytes obtained from immature female squirrel monkeys (<i>Saimiri boliviensis</i>)

“…Hosoi et al successfully produced blastocysts from Japanese monkeys in 2003 [16] and Takahashi et al obtained blastocysts from common marmosets using in vitro maturation (IVM)-ICSI and delivered a baby in 2014 [17]. Our group recently grew an embryo to the 10-cell stage using ICSI in the owl monkey, but the embryo failed to develop to the blastocyst-stage [8]. Based on this study, we speculated that selection of culture medium is important for blastocyst development, and thus, in the present study, we used CMRL 1066 medium, which has been used to produce rhesus monkey blastocysts [18], instead of the potassium simplex optimized medium (KSOM) that was used in our previous studies [8].…”

“…We previously reported the morphology and normal characteristics of oocytes [6] and spermatozoa [7] in new world monkeys, owl monkeys, and squirrel monkeys. Although fresh spermatozoa obtained from the epididymis of owl monkeys exhibit poor motility and low concentration [7], we attempted to produce embryos using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in owl monkeys [8]. In contrast to owl monkeys, fresh spermatozoa of squirrel monkeys exhibited excellent motility and very high concentrations [7].…”

“…Our group recently grew an embryo to the 10-cell stage using ICSI in the owl monkey, but the embryo failed to develop to the blastocyst-stage [8]. Based on this study, we speculated that selection of culture medium is important for blastocyst development, and thus, in the present study, we used CMRL 1066 medium, which has been used to produce rhesus monkey blastocysts [18], instead of the potassium simplex optimized medium (KSOM) that was used in our previous studies [8]. We hypothesized that if we could repeat ICSI in the owl monkey for embryo production, we could produce blastocysts using CMRL 1066 medium, but unfortunately, the only female at the Amami Laboratory died.…”

“…In our previous reports [6][7][8] related to owl monkeys and squirrel monkeys, the gametes used were obtained from ovaries and testes that were removed during the dissection of monkeys used for other experiments; however, due to time constraints, we could not obtain dissected individuals in the present study. Because of the limited time frame at Amami laboratory and the limited number of animals used in the present study, we selected the methodology of unilateral ovariectomy for this study, in consideration of the safety of the precious squirrel monkeys.…”