Quantification of the ovarian follicular growth in rabbits

Quantification of the ovarian follicular growth in rabbits is reported. An evaluation of relative volume of developmental stages of follicles revealed that the primary follicles form 84.8 ± 8.5%, growing follicles without antrum formation 10.0 ± 7.8%, antral follicles 3.9 ± 4.3% and Graafian follicles 1.3 ± 2.5% of the relative volume of the ovary. In primary follicles, the oocyte forms 72.8 ± 2.3% and granulosa cells 27.2 ± 2.3%. In follicles with less than 2 layers of granulosa cells the relative volume of granulosa cells is 47.8 ± 2.1% and that of oocyte 52.2 ± 2.1%. In follicles with more than 2 layers of granulosa cells and without antrum formation the granulosa cells form more than 70% of the relative volume. In follicles with antral formation, the oocyte forms 10.8 ± 2.3%, antrum 24.4 ± 6.1% and granulosa cells 64.8 ± 5.4%. In antral follicles the highest relative volume of antrum (66.7 ± 3.4%) and lower of granulosa cells (30.9 ± 2.9%) and oocyte (2.4 ± 0.7%) was observed. The diameter of an oocyte is 23.3 ± 3.0 μm in primary follicles, higher in follicles with antrum, but in the follicles with antrum formation and Graafian follicles the diameter of oocyte is almost the same. On the other hand, our morphometric data demonstrated a linear increase in the follicular diameter.