Simultaneous Measurement of Steroids in Follicular Fluid and Ovarian Venous Blood in the Rabbit

Abstract

Steroid concentrations in ovarian venous blood and follicular fluid in the rabbit increase significantly following mating or i.v. injection of LH. To study the dynamic changes occurring in these compartments and to determine whether more steroids are secreted directly into ovarian venous blood or into follicular fluid following gonadotrophin stimulation, ovarian venous blood and follicular fluid were measured simultaneously in rabbits before and at 5, 10, 30 min and 1, 2, 3½, 5, and 9 h after an i.v. injection of an ovulatory dose of LH (NIH-S18, 50 µg/rabbit). Ovarian venous output of progesterone (P₄), testosterone (T), and estrogen (E) was significantly elevated (P4 remained elevated for 5 h followed by a significant decrease (P4 and T were approximately 1000% whereas that of E was 250%.