Exposure of mouse blastocysts in vitro to acidified media effective in dissolving the zona pellucida (Gwatkin, 1964), was reported to be incompatible with the survival of the blastocyst (Bowman & McLaren, 1969). It has been concluded that decreased pH is unlikely to be responsible for the lysis of the zona pellucida in utero (Bowman & McLaren, 1970). This conclusion was drawn from data concerning the effect of a prolonged exposure (up to several hours) of eggs to acidity in vitro. Evidence is reported here to show that the dissolution of the zona pellucida by a brief exposure of the blastocyst to acidity is compatible with its viability and subsequent development.
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Brun et al. (1972) studied this question.