Since the volume gives a better comparison of size than thickness, the volume of the zona pellucida was also calcldated by substraction of the volume of the inner zonal cavity from the volume of the total egg and compared with the zona pellucida thickness. All calculations were made by computor (CEIR timesharing computor). The zona pellucida of the tubal ova is thicker than that of the oocyte, with the zona pellucida of the fertilized egg being definite1y thinner when compared with unfertilized eggs. This phenomenon of decreased thickness in the fertilized egg may be associated with the zona reaction. The entry of the first sperm into the egg initiates a reaction in the zona pellucida the effect of which is to predude the entry of additional sperm-Braden, Austin and David (1954) defined this phenomenon as the zona reaction. The results of anatomical changes in the zona pe1lucida may also be a phenomenon such as a "zona reaction".
Animal ; Female ; Fertilization* ; Mice ; Ovulation* ; Ovum/cytology* ; Ovum/growth & development

OBJECTIVETo determine the best spawning temperature and weight of Whitmania pigra and the hatching temperature of its eggs.

METHODObserve the state of W. pigra spawning and hatching were observed under different temperatures and weights conditions.

RESULT AND CONCLUSION25 degrees C is the most appropriate temperature for W. pigra spawning and incubation, the best spawning weight of W. pigra was around 20 g. The temperature influenced the lost weight after spawning significantly and was proportion to the lost weight. The body weight showed no substantial influence to the lost weight after spawning. The egg weight of W. pigra which body weight was below 2.0 g was proportion to the hatching rate. The same relationship was not observed in W. pigra over 2.0 g.

Animals ; Body Weight ; Breeding ; methods ; Female ; Leeches ; growth & development ; physiology ; Male ; Ovum ; growth & development ; Temperature

OBJECTIVE: To study the growing of flies on body after different postmortem interval. METHODS: In natural environment, time points when flies coming, gathering, making eggs, and maggots pupating, emergencing were observed on a female body died of disease. RESULTS: The time when flies coming, gathering, making eggs, and maggots pupating, changing to chrysalis, and emergencing were 0.2, 28, 44, 60, 112 and 248 h after one's death, respectively. CONCLUSION This study may be used in PMI estimation.
Animals ; Diptera/growth & development* ; Female ; Humans ; Larva/growth & development* ; Ovum/growth & development* ; Postmortem Changes ; Pupa ; Temperature ; Time Factors

The reproductive system and gonad development and germ cell occurrence of Whitmania pigra have been studied by using tissue section electron microscope techniques. W. pigra has completely independent male and female reproduction system, which lasts 11 months. The development of spermary started before the development of ovary. When egg cell is only a primordial germ cell, sperm has an initially complete form. Meanwhile, sperm cells and egg cells orderly development and synchronously mature. According to the development of sperm cells and egg cells, the development of cycle of the spermary could be divided into 6 stages: proliferating stage (1-3 months of age), growing stage (4-5 months of age), resting stage (6-8 months of age), maturing stage (9 months of age), spawning stage (10 months of age) and degradation stage (11 months of age). The development of cycle of the ovary could be divided into 6 stages: forming stage (1-2 months of age), proliferating stage (3-4 months of age), growing stage (5-8 months of age), maturing stage (9 months of age), spawning stage (10 months of age) and resting stage (11 months of age). W. pigra is a synchronous hermaphrodite animal, the development of cycle of the spermary and ovary each has six stages, sperm cells and egg cells orderly development and synchronously mature.
Animals ; Female ; Gonads ; cytology ; Leeches ; growth & development ; Male ; Ovary ; cytology ; Ovum ; cytology ; Reproduction ; Spermatocytes ; cytology

The mouse eggs in the various stages, of the development prior to implantation were collected and measurements were made on both the largest and smallest diameters of the vitellus, inner and outer surface of the zona pellucida. The various stages of development used were ovarian oocytes (germinal vesiA®e stage), ovulated but unfertilized egg, ovulated and fertilized egg, the 2-cell embryo on the second day of pregnancy, 4-8-cell embryo on the third day of pregnancy and morulablastocyst on the fourth day of pregnancy, A further comparative study on unfertilized and fertilized tubal eggs was made, The time of l2 hours after H.C.G. injection was chosen as the starting point from which to follow the collection of eggs every 3 hours for 24 hours. Since the volume gives a better comparison of size than diameter, the volume of the total eggs, intrazonal cavity, perivitelline space and the various were calculated for the various preimplantation stages of mouse egg. The volume of zona pellucida was also calsulated by subtraction of the volume of the inner zonal cavity from the volume of total egg and compared with the zona pellucida thickness. All calculations were made by computor(CEIR Time-sharing Computor). The diameter and volume of the vitellus in the ovarian oocyte is the largest one of any stage during the preimplantation stages of development, while the total volume of the entire egg as determined from the diameter of outer surface of the zona pellucida of the ovarian cocyte is the smallest one of any stage during development. The diameter and total volume of the entire egg increases from the ovarian oocytes to the first day of pregnancy and then gradually decreases until the third day of pregnancy. An increase in these parameters again takes place on the fourth day of pregnancy. The zona pellucida of the tubal ova is thicker than that of the oocyte, with the zona pellucida of the fertilized egg being definitely thinner when compared with unfertilized eggs. This phenomenon of decreased thickness in fertilized egg may be associated with zona reaction. The perivitelline space between the vitellus and zona pellucida thus formed following ovulation occupied approximately 40 percent of the total volume enclosed by the inner surface of the zona pellucida (intrazonal cavity) in the 1-cell tubal ova. Neither the cause of the rapid accumulation of fluid after ovulation which resulted in the production of the perivitelline space nor the actual time of the formation of the perivitelline space are known. Some possible reasons for the formation or origin of the perivitelline space are discussed. The size and shape of the vitellus undergo compartive reduction during preimplantation stages of development. The possible reason for the reduction of vitelline volume are discussed.
Animal ; Blastocyst ; Embryo/cytology* ; Embryo Implantation ; Embryo and Fetal Development ; Female ; Fertilization ; Mice ; Ovulation ; Ovum/cytology ; Ovum/growth & development ; Temperature ; Time Factors

Rabbit follicular oocytes were cultured in a medium supplemented with various elements such as bovine serum(RS), bovine serum albumin(BSA), amino acids and chorionic gonadotrophic hormone(HCG) in order to find which factors among them were most effective for oocyte maturation. The presence of BSA in the basic medium (modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate) did not elevate the proportion of oocyte maturation. When BS alone was added to the medium, only a few oocytes could reach to metaphase I and most of them were in degeneration. This implies that BS may act as an inhibitory or a toxic agent to the rabbit oocytes. It was found that the medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA and amino acids together raised the proportion of the oocyte maturation (54-62%). Especially the presence of proline, or of both proline and glutamine, gave a more favourable condition for the initiation of meiotic division than other amino acids. Addition of HCG to the medium did not promote the proportion of the oocyte maturation. As a consequence, it is apparent that amino acids in the medium are the most essential factors in inducing oocyte meiotic division.
Amino Acids/pharmacology* ; Animal ; Chorionic Gonadotropin/pharmacology ; Culture Media* ; Female ; Growth ; Oocytes/physiology* ; Ovum/physiology* ; Rabbits ; Serum Albumin, Bovine/pharmacology

To determine the effects of kimchi extracts at different temperatures on larval development, Ascaris suum eggs were mixed with soluble part of 7 different brands of commercially available kimchi and preserved at either 5degrees C or 25degrees C for up to 60 days. A. suum eggs incubated at 25degrees C showed marked differences in larval development between kimchi extract and control group. While all eggs in the control group completed embryonation by day 21, only 30% of the eggs in the kimchi extract group became embryonated by day 36 and about 25% never became larvated even at day 60. At 5degrees C, however, none of the eggs showed larval development regardless of the incubation period or type of mixture group. To determine the survival rate of A. suum eggs that showed no embryonation after being preserved at 5degrees C, eggs preserved in kimchi extracts for 14, 28, and 60 at 5degrees C were re-incubated at 25degrees C for 3 weeks in distilled water. While all eggs in the control group became larvated, eggs in the kimchi extract group showed differences in their embryonation rates by the incubation period; 87.4 % and 41.7% of the eggs became embryonated after being refrigerated for 14 days and 28 days, respectively. When refrigerated for 60 days, however, no eggs mixed in kimchi extract showed larval development. Our results indicate that embryogenesis of A. suum eggs in kimchi extract was affected by duration of refrigeration, and that all eggs stopped larval development completely in kimchi kept at 5degrees C for up to 60 days.
Animals ; Ascaris suum/*drug effects/embryology ; Brassica/*chemistry ; Ovum/*drug effects/growth & development ; Plant Extracts/*pharmacology ; Raphanus/*chemistry ; Temperature

To study the effects of mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) on the in vitro maturation, fertilization, cleavage and blastula formation of mouse oocytes, the immature oocytes were infected in vitro by MCMVs of different dosages (100 TCID(50), 10 TCID(50) and 1 TCID(50)). The oocytes were then observed for in vitro maturation, fertilization, cleavage and blastula formation and the ultrastructural changes after the culture with the viruses. Our results showed that no significant differences were found in IVM, IVF, cleavage and blastula formation among the groups treated with of virus of various dosages. And ultrastructural abnormality was observed in the oocytes treated by 100 TCID(50) of viruses. It is concluded that MCMV did not have any conspicuous effects on IVM, IVF, cleavage and blastula formation of murine immature oocytes.
Blastocyst ; Cells, Cultured ; Cleavage Stage, Ovum ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; Fertilization ; Muromegalovirus/*pathogenicity ; Oocytes/cytology ; Oocytes/growth & development ; Oocytes/*virology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate microenvironment of follicular fluid, such as estradiol(E2), testosterone(T), and insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation(COH) for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer(IVF-ET). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1996 to June 1998, follicular concentrations of E2, T, and IGF-I on the day of transvaginal ovum aspiration were measured in 40 patients undergoing COH for IVF-ET. The patients were grouped into the control(n=20) and the PCOS(n=20) groups. Statistical analysis was performed using Student's t-test, Fisher's exact test, and X2 test as appropriate. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the follicular concentrations of E2, T, and IGF-I between the control and the PCOS groups. CONCLUSION: IGF-I might be not a main component of the local regulatory mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of PCOS.
Embryonic Structures ; Estradiol* ; Estrogens ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Follicular Fluid* ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Ovary ; Ovum ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* ; Testosterone*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Hypertrophic and metaplastic changes of goblet cells associated with mucus hypersecretion are common characteristics of airway inflammation. The purposes of this study were to observe goblet cell production in an allergic animal model and to elucidate the effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor on goblet cell production. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We produced used ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized F344 rats as an animal model of nasal allergy. Rats were sensitized and challenged with OVA (OVA-sensitized rats). Control rats were given saline alone. Nasal mucosa was processed for AB(pH2.5)/PAS stain, for immunohistochemical staining with anti-EGFR antibody, and for in situ hybridization with MUC5AC mucin gene. The effects of EGFR tyrosine kinase activation on OVA-induced goblet cell production were also examined. RESULTS: Intraepithelial mucosubstance in the nasal mucosa increased significantly at 48h following OVA instillation in the OVA-sensitized rats. Immunohistochemical studies with an anti-EGFR antibody showed EGFR staining selectively in cells that stained positively with AB/PAS. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated the expression of MUC5AC mRNA in OVA-sensitized rats, but not in the control rats. Pretreatment with a selective EGFR kinase inhibitor (BIBX1522, 80 mg/kg/d, i.p.) inhibited OVA-induced goblet cell production. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that EGFR tyrosine kinase activation may play an important role in antigen-induced mucus production.
Animals ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Goblet Cells* ; Hypersensitivity ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inflammation ; Models, Animal ; Mucins ; Mucus ; Nasal Mucosa ; Ovalbumin ; Ovum ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Rats* ; Rats, Inbred F344 ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; RNA, Messenger