title: Early events of in-vitro fertilization of cat eggs by epididymal spermatozoa.
abstract: Newly ovulated eggs from mature queens treated with PMSG and hCG were inseminated in modified KRB solution with spermatozoa recovered from the cauda epididymidis of male cats. When 5 eggs were examined 15 min after insemination, no signs of sperm penetration into the vitellus were observed. However, in an egg examined before fixation 20 min after insemination, a spermatozoon whose head had passed through the zona pellucida was observed. Very high proportions (90-100%) of the eggs were penetrated when they were examined 0.5-5 h after insemination. Male and female pronuclei were first observed in eggs examined 4 h after insemination.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004822:Epididymis / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D008297:Male; D010063:Ovum / Q000502:physiology; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors