IUBio

vaginal cytology of rat (o)estrous cycle

Richard Norman rnorman at umich.edu
Thu May 10 14:00:01 EST 2001


Richard Norman wrote:
> 
> "Brian Young" <byoung at ic.sunysb.edu> wrote in message
> news:Pine.GSO.4.21.0105092241140.14470-100000 at sparky.ic.sunysb.edu...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I know that this sounds a bit OT, but my real interest is in looking at
> > how anxiety varies with the variations in hormone concentrations related
> > to the estrous cycle. Anyway, I need to monitor vaginal cytology daily in
> > order to verify the stage of the estrus cycle of the subjects and was
> > hoping that someone could point me to some pictures of cytology that are
> > characteristic of each each of the four stages of the cycle.
> >
> > Many thanks!
> >
> 
> I know many mammalian physiology laboratory manuals monitor
> estrous cycle with vaginal smears.  I'll try to dig up some specific
> references for you.

The lab manuals are rather old but here is what I have on detecting
estrus in rats:

"The diestrous smear consists mainly of leucocytes (polymorphonuclear)
and some epithelial cells (nucleated, much larger than the leucocytes).
The number of nucleated epithelial cells increases during proestrus and
early estrus; leucocytes disappear.  In full estrus, which lasts but a
few hours, the smear consists entirely of large cornified epithelial
cells (non-nucleated).  Leucocytes appear again in metestrus, together
with some remaining cornified epithelial cells."
WS Hoar and CP Hickman, Jr.  A Laboratory Companion for General
and Comparative Physiology, 2nd Ed. Prentice-Hall, 1975.

"During the anestrus portion of the cycle, the smear consists
preponderantly of leucocytes, with an occasional cornified epithelial
cell.  The first appearance of estrus is marked by mucification of
the vagina, followed quickly by the complete, or nearly complete,
disappearance of leucocytes and their replacement by large numbers
of round, nucleated, epithelial cells.  These cells are about
three times as large as the leucocytes and, once seen, cannot be
mistaken.  At this time and for about 12 hours afterward, the
animals will breed, but at no other time. Desquamation of the
epithelial cells now occurs, and white, cheesy masses of
disintegrating squamous cells are found in the smear.  Leucocytes
now again make their appearance, and the cycle is repeated."
FE D'Amour, FR Blood, and DA Belden, Jr.  Manual for Laboratory
Work in Mammalian Physiology, 3rd Ed, revised, U Chicago Press,
1965.

Some citations from Hoar and Hickman include

E. Allen, The oestrus cycle of the mouse.  Amer J Anat 30:297-348,
1922.

JA Long and HM Evans, The oestrous cycle in the rat and its associated
phenomena.  Mem. Univ. Calif. 6:1-148, 1922.

However you might also try searching www.google.com for
"rat estrus vaginal smear".




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