Abstract
Sprague–Dawley rats 10–12 wk of age weighing 200–225 g. were used to study the effects of X-irradiation of the ovary on implantation, decidual response, and pregnancy maintenance. One ovary of rats which had mated 2 or 4 days previously was exteriorized and irradiated at 4500 R and the contralateral ovary was removed on day 4 of pregnancy. On day 9 about 90% of the rats had implantation sites but the mean diameter of these sites was significantly smaller (P < 0.001) than that of controls and a high proportion of embryos was being resorbed. Daily injection of 0.05 µg estradiol-17β and 1 mg progesterone restored both the size of the implantation sites and the number of live embryos to normal levels. Although the deciduomata were significantly smaller (P < 0.01) in animals with irradiated ovaries than in control animals, they were much larger than in ovariectomized rats treated with progesterone (Gibbons and Chang, 1972), indicating that section of estrogen and progesterone from the irradiated ovary had occurred. Pregnancy, however, was not maintained to day 18 and many embryos died if both estrogen and progesterone were not given. We conclude that irradiation of the ovary disturbs implantation to a certain degree and the irradiated ovary does not secrete enough hormones for the proper maintenance of pregnancy and development of embryos.
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