This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kaufman, M. H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kaufman, M. H.

Effect of anaesthesia on the outcome of pregnancy in female mice

It has long been known that certain anaesthetics may impair cell division, presumably by an effect on spindle and associated protein (Andersen, 1966; Fink, 1971). What is not known is whether the germ cells of adult female mammals, in the 'resting' or dictyate stage of meiotic prophase, are susceptible to these agents. Oocytes are particularly vulnerable cells, as mutagens may either impair their fertilizability or reduce the developmental potential of the resultant zygotes. These aspects of the possible mutagenic effect of anaesthetics may be monitored by assessing fetal loss during the pre-and postimplantation stages of pregnancy. The type of analysis used in the present study provides a quantitative means of assessing the influence of anaesthesia before conception on the subsequent fertility of females. It also provides a means of comparing the overall incidence of embryonic loss in the experimental groups with that occurring in unanaesthetized control females.