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To induce pseudopregnancy in female mice, they need to be mated with males that are sterile and can’t cause actual pregnancy. Sterility can be achieved through surgical vasectomy or the use of genetically modified males but in the former case, there can be pain and discomfort involved and in the latter, unusable animals. A new research article proposes a potential refinement and reduction for inducing pseudopregnancy: mating females with naturally sterile hybrid male mice.
The lab animal community lost Dr. Jerald Silverman on November 14, 2020 to COVID-19. Here, we reflect on Jerry and his long-running and well-loved Protocol Review column.
Preece, Alghadban et al. explore the use of naturally sterile hybrids as an alternative to vasectomized males for the production of pseudopregnant female mice for embryo transfer. Sterile hybrids can contribute to the refinement of the procedure by avoiding a surgical intervention associated with pain and discomfort.