Determination of the estrus cycle of mice

The estrus cycle is the reproductive cycle in them, and changes in this cycle indicate physiological and anatomical changes. This cycle is shorter in rodents, especially in mice, and making it suitable for genital studies such as infection and medication assessment. The different stages of the estrus cycle are determined by the ratio of different types of cells observed in vaginal discharge. In this study, vaginal smears were obtained from mice of all groups, and the sampling period was two weeks. The specimens were taken between 7 and 8 am using 50 µL of normal slain, after fixation stained by crystal violet, examined by a light microscope, and the estrus phase was detected according to the ratio of cells. The proestrus stage consisted of two types of horny and epithelial cells, the estrous stage with one cell type, which is the horny cell, was diagnosed, the metestrus stage was detectable with the horny cells and leukocytes, and the diestrus stage with a population includes leukocytes. ²⁷