Pathenogenetic activation of mouse oocytes following avertin anaesthesia.

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 percent. In a spontaneously ovulating group approximately 12.5 percent of all the eggs ovulated, or 27.3 percent 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.