THE INDUCTION OF OVULATION DURING PREGNANCY IN THE RAT

SUMMARY Ovarian follicles develop to the stage where they are competent to ovulate in response to exogenous gonadotrophin at the same rate during early pregnancy as in a normal 4-day cycle in the rat. The length of time during which this competency is retained appears to be shorter than after the blockade of ovulation by pentobarbitone administered at pro-oestrus in rats that are not pregnant. Evidence from oviduct:plasma (O:P) and uterus:plasma (U:P) 131I ratio measurements indicating high progesterone and low oestrogen levels at this stage of pregnancy may be relevant to this finding. Some evidence for a 3-day cycle of follicle development after day 6 of pregnancy was obtained but the high O:P ratios suggest that little oestrogen secretion is associated with this. Oestradiol benzoate (6·25–100 μg.) administered after day 3 of pregnancy will induce ovulation when competent follicles are present. The thyroid:plasma (T:P) concentration ratio for 131I does not rise in association with ovulation induced by exogenous gonadotrophin. After oestrogen administration, the T:P ratio may increase regardless of whether ovulation is induced or not. The results are discussed in relation to the studies of other workers on the induction of ovulation during pregnancy and to earlier work on the relationship between ovulation and changes in thyroid gland activity.