THE EFFECT OF DESTRUCTION OF THE GERMINAL EPITHELIUM ON THE NUMBERS OF OOCYTES

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Abstract
The germinal epithelium was eliminated in fifty post-pubertal albino rats by painting the ovarian surface with 10% tannic acid. Seven rats were treated bilaterally and forty-three unilaterally. The animals were killed at intervals ranging from a few hours to 469 days after the operation. Some germinal epithelium, usually abnormal in appearance, was present in eighteen out of the forty-three ovaries of the rats treated unilaterally, and in eight of fourteen ovaries of the animals dealt with bilaterally. The ovaries in the unilateral series were considerably reduced in volume. There was less involution in the bilaterally treated animals. Normal and atretic follicles in all stages of development were present up to 469 days after the elimination of the germinal epithelium. The total number of oocytes in the experimental animals was only slightly lower than normal, there being no significant difference (P > 0·4) between the numbers of oocytes in the experimental ovaries and in their controls. There were more normal large follicles in the control ovaries. The relevance of these findings to the question of post-pubertal oogenesis is discussed.

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