Effect of oestrogen and progesterone on physical properties of rabbit oviduct fluid.

Since oviduct fluid acts as a medium for spermatozoa and ova during fertilization and early cleavage, this investigation was undertaken to determine any changes that occur in specific gravity, viscosity, osmolarity or dry matter content of rabbit oviduct fluid as the hormonal state changes from oestrogen to progesterone domination after fertilization. Five New Zealand white rabbits (4\m=.\5to 5\m=.\0kg) were ovariectomized and oviduct fluid collecting flasks were installed (Hamner & Williams, 1965). The animals were injected subcutaneously with 1\m=.\0\g=m\goestradiol cypionate (ocp)/kg/day in 1\m=.\0ml cottonseed oil (cso) for 7 days, 0\m=.\5\g=m\gocp/kg/day plus 0\m=.\5mg progesterone/kg/day in 1\m=.\0ml cso for the next 5 days, 1\m=.\0mg progesterone /kg/day in 1\m=.\0ml cso for the next 8 days and 1\m=.\0ml cso alone for the last 4 days. The treatments were then repeated. The oviduct fluid was collected each day, using sterile precautions, centrifuged at 1500 g for 5 min to remove any cellular debris and stored at 4\s=deg\C in a sealed tube until analysed. Duplicate samples were analysed from each rabbit for each hormonal treatment. Specific gravity was determined as a ratio of the mass of oviduct fluid to the mass of