Changes in ovine cervical mucus in response to oestrogen treatment

Abstract

After 10 days pretreatment with 10 mg progesterone daily, ovariectomized ewes were injected i.m. with 12.5, 25, 50 or 100 micrograms oestradiol benzoate (OB) and cervical mucus was collected 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 h later (Exp. 1), or were injected with 12.5, 40 or 100 micrograms OB daily, and the mucus examined, for 9 days (Exp. 2). The Spinnbarkeit was affected by the dose of OB over 9 days, but at all doses it increased over the first 3 days of treatment (Exp. 2). The wet weight of the mucus, the amount and proportion of water, and therefore the degree of arborization, increased with the dose of OB but decreased after 3 days in Exp. 2. The amount of dry matter, protein or carbohydrate did not have any clear relationship to dose or duration of OB treatment.