Role of the superior ovarian nerve in the regulation of follicular development and steroidogenesis in the morning of diestrus 1.

Purpose: Little is known about the role of the superior ovarian nerve (SON) in follicular development during the estrus cycle. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of neural signals arriving through the SON at the ovaries in the regulation of follicular development and ovarian steroid secretion in diestrus 1 of cyclic rats.

Methods: Cyclic rats were subjected to left, right, or bilateral SON sectioning or to unilateral or bilateral laparotomy at diestrus 1 at 11:00 h.