[Effects of uterine secretions on embryonic development]

Rabbit embryos at the stage of one-cell and morula were incubated in uterine secretions from rat. The uterine fluid was aspirated from uterus of freshly sacrificed estrus animals. We obtained a very good development of the morulas (mean of the maximum diameter : 0.79 +/- 0.02 mm); however only 35% of the one cell rabbit embryos reached the stage of 16 cells. This consequently suggest a uterine tropism in the rats similar to that previously found for the rabbit.