Effect of ovarian sympathectomy on follicular development during compensatory ovarian hypertrophy in the guinea-pig

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Selective ovarian sympathectomy was achieved by injecting 6-hydroxydopamine into a surgically closed periovarian bursa on day 3 of the estrous cycle (day 1 = day of estrus). Control ovaries had the periovarian bursa surgically closed and were injected with solvent. On day 15 of the cycle, serum was collected for progesterone determination and ovaries were processed for morphometric analysis of follicles. In both control and sympathectomized ovaries remaining after unilateral ovariectomy on day 3, there was an increase in ovarian weight and an increase in healthy preovulatory follicles (> 700 .mu.m diameter). Sympathectomy of the ovary remaining after unilateral ovariectomy increased healthy follicles 510-700 .mu.m diameter but decreased the total number of follicles per ovary. In animals bearing both ovaries, unilateral sympathectomy did not affect any of the characteristics measured. Serum progesterone concentrations were unaffected by any of the treatments. Adrenergic nerves apparently play a role in follicular dynamics in ovaries undergoing compensatory hypertrophy but are not necessary for compensatory increases in weight and number of preovulatory follicles.