Abstract

The effects of unilateral ovariectomy (ULO) before mating on maintenance of pregnancy, plasma progesterone levels and ovarian hypertrophy were examined using adult rabbits. The values related to reproductive efficiency, such as number of ovulations and implantation sites, implantation rates, size of uterine swellings, litter size, weight of young, birth rate, duration of pregnancy and peripheral plasma progesterone levels per doe, did not show any significant differences between ULO and intact does. The mean ovarian weight and the volume of ovaries after the second parturition in ULO and intact does became slightly larger than those of ovaries after the first parturition, though no significant differences were noticed between the first and the second. The ovarian weight and volume of ULO does after the second parturition was significantly larger than those of removed ones at ULO (p<0.05). These results suggest that ULO before mating did not affect the maintenance of pregnancy, fetal growth and litter size by the compensatory function of the remaining ovary in the ULO animal.

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