CYSTIC DEGENERATION IN PORCINE OVARIES .2. CONCENTRATIONS OF PROGESTERONE, ESTRADIOL-17-BETA, AND TESTOSTERONE IN CYSTIC FLUID AND PLASMA -INTERPRETATION OF THE RESULTS

The content of progesterone, estradiol-17beta, and testosterone of pla sma and cystic fluid was determined in 79 sows with ovarian cysts. The average progesterone concentration of sows with dark corpora lutea (C L) was higher than of sows with pale or absent CL (39.4 vs. 8.7 vs. 8. 0 ng/ml plasma; p < 0.001; and 7512 vs. 3644 vs. 2723 ng/ml cystic flu id, respectively; p < 0.001). The cystic fluid of animals with oligocy stic ovaries (less-than-or-equal-to 10 cysts/animal) had a significant higher progesterone concentration in comparison to polycystic animals (7200 vs. 3682 ng/ml; p < 0.001). Testosterone and estradiol-17beta l evels in plasma and in cystic fluid of polycystic animals were signifi cantly higher in comparison to oligocystic animals (Plasma-Testosteron e: p < 0.01; Plasma-Estradiol: p < 0.05; Cyst-Testosterone: p < 0.01; Cyst-Estradiol: p < 0.001). In oligocystic ovaries testosterone in cys ts exceeded the estradiol-17beta levels, whereas in polycystic ovaries the situation was vice versa (p < 0.001). It is suggested that cystic ovarian degeneration in the sow is not exclusively a gradually progre ssing process, rather then a complex syndrome with three components, w ere characterized by a separate course of development (oligocystic, po lycystic, oligo-polycystic syndrome).