EFFECT OF ESTRADIOL AND PROGESTERONE ON NORADRENALINE CONTENT IN NERVES OF THE OVIDUCT, UTERUS AND VAGINA IN OVARIECTOMIZED PIGS

The effect of estradiol and progesterone on the noradrenaline (NA) con tent in nerve fibres of the oviduct, uterus and vagina was investigate d in 37 ovariectomized sows, divided into 4 groups. A recovery period was 4 weeks. Starting from the 9th day before killing, the animals wer e injected 10 times (1 injection/day; the last injection was made 3 h before killing) with: group 1 (C; control) - arachidic oil vehicle, gr oup 2 (P) - progesterone, group 3 (E) - estradiol benzoate, group 4 (P +E) - mixture of estradiol and progesterone. After the recovery period the animals were slaughtered and oviducts, samples of uterine hems an d cervices, and vaginas were collected. The tissues collected from 6 a nimals of each group were processed for the spectrofluorimetric method according to Campusano et al. [4] to determine tissue level of NA. Th e organs from the remaining 3 animals were assigned to histochemical a nalysis of catecholamine-containing structures using the glioxylic aci d-induced fluorescence method according to Kyosola et al. [13]. Admini stration of estradiol resulted in a decrease in NA content in the uter ine horn and cervical tissues. Administration of progesterone induced an increase in NA content in tissues of the oviduct and uterine cervix . Administration of a mixture of estradiol and progesterone resulted i n an increase in NA content in the oviductal, uterine cervical and vag inal tissues. Generally, changes in the tissue NA levels were closely paralleled by changes in the catecholamine histofluorescence. The data obtained suggest that ovarian steroids may affect the metabolism of N A in neurons supplying the porcine female reproductive tract.