Parthenogenetic activation of mouse oocytes following avertin anaesthesia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Avertin anaesthesia induced mouse eggs to become activated parthenogenetically. An increasing incidence of activation was observed when females were anaesthetized 6·5, 9 and 13 h after ovulation, reaching a maximum of 45·8 %. In a spontaneously ovulating group approximately 12·5 % of all the eggs ovulated, or 27·3 % of all the eggs activated evoked a decidual response, and the presence of implanting embryos was confirmed histologically. These findings demonstrate a new and simple method of inducing post-implantation parthenogenetic development in the mouse, and stress the necessity of taking into account the possible consequences of anaesthesia in the early post-ovulatory period.