*1.9.1.2 Collecting vaginal cells (vaginal lavage)*

1.Vaginal smears should be steadily collected daily between 9 am and 12 noon by washing out the vaginal epithelium with normal saline using a disposable Pasteur pipette. The tips of the pipette to be used must compulsorily be even and pointed with an endorsed inner tip bore of ≥1.5 mm for pipette tips (OECD n.d.) [29]. The practice of using a new dropper or tip for each animal is best. Should a lone dropper or tip be employed on different animals, it

*Our Clear-Cut Improvement to the Impact of Mouse and Rat Models in the Research Involving... DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106858*

must be meticulously cleaned with fresh sterile or distilled water. Thorough cleaning is appropriate to avoid sample contamination between animals which may result in erroneousness staging or, occasionally, reproductive tract infection.

