OBJETIVE: To assess the natural pregnancy and to determine the morphofunctional aspects of ovaries of rabbits submitted to bilateral oophorectomy and orthotopic allogeneic or autologous intact and sliced ovarian transplantation without a vascular pedicle. METHODS: Fifty-six female New Zealand White and California rabbits were studied. The ovaries were removed and orthotopically transplanted or replaced without vascular anastomoses: Group 1 (n = 8), only laparotomy and laparorrhaphy were performed; Group 2A (n = 8) intact ovaries were reimplanted on both sides; Group 2B (n = 8) both ovaries were sliced and orthotopically reimplanted; Group 2C (n = 8), an intact ovary was reimplanted on one side and a sliced ovary on the other side; Group 3A (n = 8) intact ovaries were transplanted on both sides, Group 3B (n = 8) both ovaries were sliced and orthotopically transplanted, Group 3C (n = 8), an intact ovary was transplanted on one side and a sliced ovary on the other side. Three months later, the females were paired with males for copulation. Estradiol, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels were assessed. The morphological aspect of the ovaries was studied and the number of pregnancies and litters were also determined.Tthe number of successful pregnancies and the number of litters was compared between the groups by the chi-square test. One-way ANOVA and the Tukey-Kramer tests compared the hormonal dosages. The significance was of p < 0.05. RESULTS: Pregnancies occurred in seven (87.5%) rabbits of Group 1, in 37.5% in Groups 2A and 3A, in 50% of groups 2B, 2C and 3B, and in 62.5% of group 3C. Hormone levels and histology confirmed the vitality of all ovaries. CONCLUSION: Intact or sliced orthotopic allogeneic and autologous ovarian transplantation without a vascular pedicle is viable in rabbits, and preserves their fertility and hormonal functions.
Fertilization; Histology; Ovarian transplants; Ovarian function; Pregnancy
