Summary
The influence of ovarian adrenergic nerves on follicular growth during the estrous cycle in the adult guinea pig was ascertained by comparing follicular development in control and chemically sympathectomized ovaries from the same animal. Selective ovarian sympathectomy was achieved by injecting 6-hydroxydopamine into a surgically closed periovarian membranous sac (bursa) on day 2 of the cycle (day 1 = day of estrus). The contralateral surgically closed ovarian bursa was injected with solvent used for 6-hydroxydopamine. Animals were laparotomized on days 5, 10 and 14 of the cycle. Blood from the utero-ovarian vein was collected bilaterally for measurement of progesterone and androstenedione. The ovaries were processed for histologic examination, and the number of follicles in each ovary was analyzed morphometrically. Sympathectomy on day 2 caused a decrease in healthy preovulatory follicles (> 700 μm diameter) on day 10 of the cycle. There were no differences in ovarian weights or the total number of follicles per ovary at this time. On days 5 and 14 of the cycle, there were no differences in ovarian weights, total number of follicles per ovary or follicles in any size classification. Sympathectomy did not alter progesterone levels in the uteroovarian vein as compared to contralateral control levels. From control ovaries, there was a significant increase in progesterone in the blood of the utero-ovarian vein on day 10 but venous levels of progesterone from sympathectomized ovaries were not significantly different at any day of the cycle. In the venous effluent from sympathectomized ovaries, androstenedione was elevated at day 5 compared to days 10 and 14. These observations suggest that ovarian adrenergic nerves may modulate growth of large antral follicles and ovarian steroidogenesis during the estrous cycle.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adashi EY, Hsueh AJ (1981) Stimulation of β-adrenergic responsiveness by follicle stimulating hormone in rat granulosa cells in vitro and in vivo. Endocrinology 108:2170–2178
Bacq ZM (1932) The effect of sympathectomy on sexual functions, lactation, and the maternal behavior of the albino rat. Am J Physiol 135:182–205
Bakke JL, Lawrence NL, Robinson SA, Bennet J, Bowers C (1970) Late endocrine effects of L-dopa, 5-HTP and 6-OH-Dopa administered to neonatal rats. Neuroendocrinology 25:291–302
Beck LR (1972) Comparative observations on the morphology of the mammalian periovarial sac. J Morphol 136:247–254
Bland KP (1980) Biphasic follicular growth in the guinea pig oestrous cycle. J Reprod Fertil 60:73–76
Blatchley FR, Donovan BT, ter Haar MB (1976) Plasma progesterone and gonadotropin levels during the estrous cycle of the guinea pig. Biol Reprod 15:29–38
Brink CE, Grob HS (1973) Response of the denervated mouse ovary to exogenous gonadotropins. Biol Reprod 9:103
Burden HW (1972) Adrenergic innervation in the ovaries of the rat and guinea pig. Am J Anat 133:455–462
Burden HW (1978) Ovarian innervation. In: Jones R (ed) The vertebrate ovary. Plenum Publishing Co., New York, p 615
Burden HW, Lawrence IE Jr (1977) The effect of denervation on compensatory ovarian hypertrophy. Neuroendocrinology 23:368–378
Burden HW, Lawrence IE Jr, Louis TM, Hodson CA (1981) Effects of abdominal vagotomy on the estrous cycle of the rat and the induction of pseudopregnancy. Neuroendocrinology 33:218–222
Capps M, Lawrence IE Jr, Burden HW (1978) Ultrastructure of the cells of the ovarian interstitial gland in hypophysectomized rats: The effects of stimulation of the ovarian plexus and of denervation. Cell Tissue Res 193:433–442
Condon WA, Black DL (1976) Catecholamine-induced stimulation of progesterone by the bovine corpus luteum in vitro. Biol Reprod 15:573–578
Croix D, Franchimont P (1975) Changes in the serum levels of gonadotropins, progesterone and estradiol during the estrous cycle of the guinea pig. Neuroendocrinology 19:1–11
Curry TE Jr, Burden HW, Lawrence IE Jr (1982) Intrabursal injection of 6-hydroxydopamine in the golden hamster ovary: effects on the estrous cycle and follicular morphometry. Anat Rec 204:396
Curry TE Jr, Lawrence IE Jr, Burden HW (1984) Ovarian sympathectomy in the guinea pig: II. Effects on follicular development during the prepubertal period and following exogenous gonadotropin stimulation. Submitted to Cell Tissue Res
Dempsey FW (1937) Follicular growth rate and ovulation after various experimental procedures in the guinea pig. Am J Physiol 120:126–132
Dohm GL, Louis TM (1978) Changes in androstenedione, testosterone and protein metabolism as a result of exercise. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 158:622–625
Falck B, Owman C (1965) A detailed metadological description of the fluorescence method for the cellular demonstration of biogenic monamines. Acta Univ Lund II 7:1–23
Fink G, Schofield GC (1971) Experimental studies on the innervation of the ovary in cats. J Anat 109:115–126
Gerendai I, Marchetti B, Maugeri S, Roxas A, Scapagnini U (1978) Prevention of compensatory ovarian hypertrophy by local treatment of the ovary with 6-OHDA. Neuroendocrinology 27:272–278
Grob HS (1974) Follicle growth in denervated ovaries of hypophysectomized mice. Fed Proc 33:213
Grob HS, Brink CE (1973) Effects of exogenous norepinephrine on the ovaries of hypophysectomized mice. Fed Proc 32:213
Guraya SS, Motta PM (1980) Interstitial cells and related structures. In: Motta PM, Hafez ESE (eds) Biology of the ovary, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague, p 69
Harwood JP, Richert ND, Dafau ML, Caff KJ (1980) Gonadotropin-induced desensitization of epinephrine action in the luteinized rat ovary. Endocrinology 107:280–288
Hermreck AS, Greenwald GS (1964) The effects of unilateral ovariectomy on follicular maturation in the guinea pig. Anat Rec 148:171–176
Hill RT (1962) Paradoxical effects of ovarian secretions. In: Zuckerman S (ed) The ovary. Academic Press, New York, p 231
Jordan AW, Chaffrey JL, Niswender GD (1978) Catecholamine-induced stimulation of progesterone and adenosine 3′, 5′-monophopshate production by dispersed ovine luteal cells. Endocrinology 103:385–392
Joshi HS, Watson DJ, Labhsetwar AP (1973) Ovarian secretion of oestradiol, oestrone, 20-dihydroprogesterone and progesterone during the oestrus cycle of the guinea pig. J Reprod Fertil 35:177–181
Kulkarni PS, Wakade AR, Kirpekar SM (1976) Sympathetic innervation of guinea pig uterus and ovary. Am J Physiol 230:1400–1405
Labhsetwar AP, Diamond M (1970) Ovarian changes in the guinea pig during various reproductive stages and steroid treatment. Biol Reprod 2:53–57
Lawrence IE Jr, Burden HW (1976) The autonomic innervation of the interstitial gland of the rat ovary during pregnancy. Am J Anat 147:81–94
Lawrence IE Jr, Louis TM, Burden HW (1982) The effects of 6-hydroxydopamine administration during the prepubertal period on the guinea pig ovary. Anat Rec 202:109
MacDonald EJ, Airaksinen MM (1974) The effect of 6-hydroxydopamine on the oestrous cycle and fertility of rats. J Pharm Pharmacol 26:518–521
Myers HI, Young WC, Dempsey EW (1936) Graafian follicle development throughout the reproductive cycle in the guinea pig with special reference to changes during oestrus. Anat Rec 65:381–401
Neilson D, Jones GS, Woodruff JD, Goldberg B (1970) The innervation of the ovary. Obstet Gynecol Surv 25:889–904
Norjavaara E, Selstam G, Ahren K (1982) Catecholamine stimulation of cyclic AMP and progesterone production in rat corpora lutea of different ages. Acta Endocrinol 100:613–622
Peddie MJ (1980a) Follicular development in the immature guineapig. J Endocrinol 84:323–331
Peddie MJ (1980b) Follicular development in the adult guinea pig and responses to human chorionic gonadotropin. J Endocrinol 85:9–16
Perry JS, Rowlands IW (1963) Hypophysectomy of the immature guinea pig and the ovarian response to gonadotropins. J Reprod Fertil 6:393–404
Phoenix CH (1970) Guinea pigs. In: Hafez ESE (ed) Reproduction and breeding techniques for laboratory animals. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, p 244
Rani CSS, Nordenstrom K, Norjavaara E, Ahren K (1983) Development of catecholamine responsiveness in granulosa cells from preovulatory rat follicles-Dependence on preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge. Biol Reprod 28:1021–1031
Ratner A, Sanborn CR, Weiss GK (1980) β-Adrenergic stimulation of cAMP and progesterone in rat ovarian tissue. Am J Physiol 293:E139–143
Stefenson A, Owman C, Sojberg NO, Sporrong B, Walles B (1981) Comparative study of the autonomic innervation of the mammalian ovary, with particular regard to the follicular system. Cell Tissue Res 215:47–62
Svensson KG, Owman C, Sporrong B, Walles B (1975) Ultrastructural evidence for adrenergic innervation of the interstitial gland in the guinea pig ovary. Neuroendocrinology 17:40–47
Welschen R, Dullaart J (1974) Serum concentrations of folliclestimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone after unilateral ovariectomy in the adult rat. J Endocrinol 63:421–422
Zar JH (1974) Biostatistical analysis. Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey p 620
Zsolnai B, Varga B, Horvath E (1982) Increase of ovarian progesterone secretion by B2-adrenergic stimulation in oestrous rats. Acta Endocrinol 101:268–272
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Curry, T.E., Lawrence, I.E. & Burden, H.W. Ovarian sympathectomy in the guinea pig. Cell Tissue Res. 236, 257–263 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214226
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214226