Morphological changes in the rabbit ovary after active immunization to testosterone

Summary The role of testosterone in follicular development was investigated by immunizing female rabbits (mean wt 1.4 kg) to testosterone-3-bovine serum albumin (T-3-BSA). Controls received BSA. Follicular diameters and histology, and ovarian and uterine weights were recorded at intervals up to 11 weeks. At 5 weeks T-3-BSA ovaries did not differ from controls in either histology or follicular diameter (number of follicles 1.0 mm were 12.5±3.4 and 17.0±1.0 for BSA and T-3-BSA treated animals respectively). By 8 weeks T-3-BSA animals had multiple cystic and hemorrhagic follicles. T-3-BSA ovaries contained more follicles 1.0< 1.5 mm (27.3±3.1 vs. 15.3±2.9, P<0.01) and 1.5 mm diameter (5.8±1.7 vs. 0.4±0.3, P<0.005). At 11 weeks T-3-BSA ovaries contained more follicles > 1.5 mm in diameter (5.0±0.9 vs. 0.9±0.3, p< 0.001). Increased vascularization, some thecal hypertrophy and marked interstitial cell hypertrophy were characteristic of the T-3-BSA ovaries at 8 and 11 weeks. These results suggest that testosterone has a role in the regulation of follicular development.Supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada, MT 4192