Parthenogenetic 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 %. 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.