Artificial Fertilization in Rabbits by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

INTRODUCTION

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) consists of the injection, under microscopic observation, of a single spermatozoon directly into the cytoplasm of an oocyte using an injection capillary. This technique is used commonly in human medicine in cases of infertility. The advantage of ICSI is that the technique requires only one spermatozoon per oocyte for fertilization. Spermatozoa used for ICSI do not require high motility; ICSI works as long as the sperm nucleus is genetically intact. This protocol describes methods for performing ICSI in rabbits using either fresh or frozen/thawed sperm.