ISSN:
0002-9106
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Ovaries from 16-day mouse fetuses were cultured as whole organs in a modified Eagle's medium for two through 45 days. In the course of the experiment a single layer of follicular cells resting on a basement membrane surrounded the majority of the surviving oocytes, resulting in unilaminar follicles. A small number lay in multilaminar follicles having two to three layers of follicular cells. No follicles with antra were seen regardless of the length of time in culture. Initiation of zona pellucida formation occurred after three days in culture. In general, the thickness of the zona pellucida was not as great as that around an oocyte of similar size in vivo. Some of the large oocytes attained diameters of 68-73 μ, which is within the normal range for fully grown mouse oocytes in vivo. Only one oocyte in all the cultures examined had a first meiotic metaphase spindle. In many follicles the initial step in degeneration was the migration of macrophages into the follicular epithelium and their attachment to the zona pellucida. The follicular epithelium often was completely replaced by an enclosing layer of macrophages; the oocyte in some such instances still appeared normal. Subsequently, the germinal vesicle became pycnotic and the ooplasm, PAS-positive. At the end of the degenerative process the zona pellucida appeared as an empty shell with macrophages attached to both its external and internal surfaces.
Additional Material:
2 Tab.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aja.1001310402
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