Viable spermatozoa can be recovered from refrigerated mice up to 7 days after death.

To develop a model for utilizing germ cells collected from dead animals, male mice were euthanized and refrigerated for various periods, and the viability of the epididymal spermatozoa was examined by in vitro fertilization, embryo culture, and embryo transfer. Higher proportions of fresh oocytes were fertilized when males had been stored at 4-6 or 8-10 degrees C than at 0 degrees C. By partially dissecting the zona of freshly ovulated oocytes, spermatozoa from ICR male mice could fertilize oocytes (21% fertilization rate) after being stored for 5 days at 4-6 degrees C, and spermatozoa from BDF1 male mice could fertilize oocytes (39%) after being stored for 7 days at 4-6 degrees C. The resulting two-cell embryos had the ability to develop into expanded blastocysts in culture (81-100%) and into live young after transfer (34-47%). With further refinement of this system, it should be applicable not only for rescuing valuable genetic variants in laboratory animals or livestock animals but also for wild species in the future. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.