From:             jiwu@www.dpz.gwdg.de
To:               p.a.fowler@abdn.ac.uk
Date sent:        Thu, 24 Sep 1998 17:57:46 +0000
Subject:          H.R . paper Wu
Copies to:        ovary-science@nottingham.ac.uk

Dear Dr. Fowler

I have read your message to Ovary Science about your attempts to look 
for small follicles in follicular fluid from routine IVF.  The paper 
you are refering to is mine.  I am now working in Germany with Dr. 
Penelope Nayudu in the German Primate Center Göttingen. I am 
continuing my studies in this area and have been also successful in 
finding small follicles from routine IVF fluid here in Germany.  
However, the number of follicles seems to be less than I found in 
China, perhaps due to some differences in aspiration technique.

I believe that these small follicles are simply lodged in the needle 
as it passes through the ovary tissue and this process does not 
require suction.  Then when the suction is resumed the small 
follicles are washed through by the follicular fluid.

The follicles themselves are very small and imbedded in small tissue 
fragments.  Therefore the follicles may not be clearly visible under 
the type of dissecting microscope commonly used for human oocytes. I 
have found it better to use an inverted microscope where the round 
shape of the small follicles is better visible.  These  small 
follicles (only around 70-100µm diameter) can only be clearly seen 
with a dissecting microscope after a couple of days of culture.

If you have further questions please feel free to contact me.

Dr. Ji Wu