1986 Volume 57 Issue 12 Pages 1010-1021
Effects of injections of charcoal-treated porcine follicular fluid (CTPFF) during 5 days in the follicular phase on functions of the corpus luteum in pseudopregnant rabbits were examined. Three ovulatory does which were ovulated by administration of 10 IU of hCG after ten 4-ml injections of CTPFF at 12-hour intervals showed no difference from controls in wet weights of either their ovaries or corpora lutea on day 4 of pseudopregnancy, even though there was a significant difference in the number of ovulations in comparison with 6 control does (group 1). The number of large follicles (≥1.5mm diameter) in treated does was less than that in the control. Progesterone (P) levels in peripheral plasma were lower in treated does on day 4 of pseudopregnancy than in control does, in spite of higher levels during the period of CTPFF treatments. In 6 does which were ovulated by 15 IU of hCG after injections of CTPFF in the same manner as in group 1, wet weights both of ovaries and corpora lutea on day 7 decreased, and number of ovulations was very few in comparison with 7 control does (group 2). Numbers of follicles of various sizes were not different between treated and control groups. Progesterone levels in treated dose remained at lower levels from 3 days to 7 days after ovulation than in controls. In treated does, luteal cells were polygonal and there were some regressive tissue changes. Ten days after administration of 15 IU (treatment A in group 3) or 30 IU (treat-ment B in group 3) of hCG following CTPFF treatments, all does (7 does for treatment A, 5 does for treatment B, 4 does for control) showed similar mean ovarian weights. However, the mean weight of corpora lutea in does of treatment B was significantly less than that in does of treatment A. Mean number of ovulations in treatment B was the same as in the control, but that in treatment A was significantly smaller. Numbers of follicles in the 1.0-1.5mm sizes in treatment B in group 3 were greater than in treatment A and the control. Progesterone levels in treated does remained at lower levels than in controls from 3 to 10 days after ovulation. Total wet weights of corpora lutea were highly correlated (p<0.01) with P levels in all groups. These results indicate that successive injections of CTPFF for several days during the follicular phase give rise to subnormal function in the corpus luteum on day 7 of pseudopregnancy in rabbits.
