Fluorinert as an Alternative for Mercury in Piezo Drill Assisted ICSI in the Horse

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the method of choice for in vitro production of equine embryos. Achievement of consistent blastocyst rates coincided with the introduction of piezo drill assisted ICSI in the horse. Mercury is generally used for stabilization of the oscillations of the piezo pipette. However, mercury is an environmental pollutant, it is neurotoxic for the operator and it can interfere with the epigenome during embryogenesis. Fluorinert is a thermally stable, inert perfluorocarbon with low toxicity, which has been used as an alternative for mercury in piezo assisted ICSI in mice.

Source: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - June 23, 2018 Category: Veterinary Research Authors: K. Smits, K. Roels, C. Ververs, M. Van de Velde, J. Govaere, A. Van Soom Source Type: research