Abstract
Because it is difficult to visualize the three-dimensional shape of uterine cavities only through observation of transverse tissue specimens, careful casting was done for mouse uterine cavities and the casts were observed under a stereoscopic microscope.
Eighty-nine ICR strain female mice were divided into three groups: cyclic mice (proestrus, estrus, metestrus I, metestrus II, diestrus), ovariectomized mice (5, 10, 15 days after ovariectomy) and mice administered daily with progesterone after ovariectomy (5, 10, 15 days after ovariectomy). When their uteri were taken, casting of the uterine cavities was done by the method of MURAKAMI et al. (1984) which does not require partial polymerization by heating nor ultraviolet light treatment prior to injection.
The casts were different in length, width and configuration among those under physiological con-ditions. The casts were like thick ribbons or rather worn-out tapes with widths and thicknesses different at places and some were wrinkling irregularly all along the lengths. The casts were found in the uteri with one edge always toward the mesometrium throughout its length. These casts observed in this study help us imagine how uterine cavities lie in mouse uteri.
