| Abstract: | The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the preimplantation losses of zygotes in pregnant superovulated juvenile rats was due to an imbalance of ovarian hormones. Twenty-seven or twenty-eight-day-old rats were injected with 20 iu of PMSG, 25 iu of hCG 50 hr later and mated overnight. From a mean ovulation rate of 52 ± 2 only 16 ± 4 zygotes survived after 4 days. After ligation of the cervical ends of the uteri on the day following fertilization the mean yield of zygotes was 22 ± 6. Ovariectomy on the day of fertilization increased the yield of zygotes to 39 ± 6, but the recovery of the zygotes was seriously complicated by postoperative adhesions and deformations of the adnexa. Inhibition of steroidogenesis with aminogluthehimide phosphate also increased the yield of zygotes. The optimal dose was 45 mg in six divided doses over 3 days, which gave a mean recovery of 57 ± 3 zygotes (of which 75% were blastocysts), that is 100% salvage. A lower dose (30 mg) reduced the recovery to the level of untreated animals, while increasing it to 60 mg resulted in maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as in developmental retardation of zygotes. |
