Vital Stains of the Acid Azo Group. 8i 



guinea pig, rabbit, dog and monkey, in the latter of which the 

 conditions are so similar as to stand for the case in man. 



Striking as they are, these studies are not sufficiently indicative 

 of the altogether unusual affinity of the atretic ovum macrophages 

 for these dyes, a fact which forces itself on our attention when 

 small doses of the dyes are given. The preparations showing the 

 scanty macrophage content of the peculiar atresia of the dog 

 demonstrate also that although but little general staining resulted, 

 these cells have all accumulated dense deposits of the vital dye. 



The macrophages are the cells which penetrate the zona pellu- 

 cida of the degenerate ovum and in late stages of atresia may be 

 present solely within the zona. 



A different and more unique reaction in the ovarian follicle 

 must now be mentioned. Impending atresia in the good-sized fol- 

 licle has as its ear-marks a reaction never seen in the healthy state, 

 for before the nuclear disorganization seen by Fleming and 

 Schottander takes place the granulosa cells destined to perish 

 have suddenly become permeable to the vital stain which they 

 house in cytoplasmic granules frequent enough to mark out the 

 whole layer as deeply stained. On the downhill, as it were, these 

 cells never increase in size or function so as to often be confused 

 with the macrophages. This reaction of the granulosa is signifi- 

 cant one must feel, chiefly as proof not only of preliminary cyto- 

 plasmic as against nuclear change but of physical change in the 

 protoplasmic state. It will be well now to know whether the dif- 

 fering behavior of the granulosa cells is dependent on a changed 

 protoplasm into which now diffusion can take place (increased 

 permeability) or whether it be due essentially to electrical surface 

 changes which let adsorptive forces operate. The conditions 

 which bring about this reaction are typically seen in the atresia 

 which always overtakes the next succeeding crop of Graafian 

 follicles after fertilization of the preceding crop, but this behavior 

 is not repeated further in the pregnancy, where now other forms 

 of atresia may come in. Enough warrant consequently exists 

 for the recognition of types of atresia the occurrence of which is 

 related with certainty to what one may broadly term the cycles 

 undergone by the ovary in general. An examination of this 

 point in animals where with many individuals we have followed 

 the sexual cycles, is in progress. 



