A Time Study of the Effect of LH Stimulation on Cholesterol Contents of Rabbit Ovarian Follicles and the Effect of Indomethacin Pretreatment on the Response to LH

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Abstract
Sexually mature female rabbits were sacrified at 30 min, 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9 h after LH (50 µg) administration. From each animal, 8-10 follicles were isolated from both the ovaries, pooled and the total and free cholesterol contents were determined by the Schoenheimer-Sperry method. The total cholesterol content of the follicles was found to be significantly depleted with 30 min after LH administration as compared to saline-treated controls. The magnitude of this depletion was the same at all the time periods. The drop in cholesterol content was exclusively due to a drop in cholesterol esters and free cholesterol levels remained essentially unchanged. Pretreatment of the animals with indomethacin at a dose known to inhibit follicular prostaglandin biosynthesis prevented the LH-induced cholesterol depletion. These results are discussed in relation to the patterns of changes in steroid and prostaglandin concentrations that are known to occur in the LH-stimulated rabbit follicles.