FSH causes a time-dependent stimulation of preovulatory follicle growth in the absence of pulsatile LH secretion in ewes chronically treated with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist.

The study investigated the relationship between the plasma concentration of FSH and the stimulation of preovulatory follicle growth in vivo in ewes chronically treated with the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist buserelin (HOE 766). Welsh Mountain ewes with regular oestrous cycles were treated for 6 weeks with two discs implants placed s.c., each containing 5 mg of the agonist in a matrix of polyhydroxybutyric acid. Treatment with the agonist for 35 days produced a sustained suppression of the plasma concentration of FSH, stopped the pulsatile release of LH and prevented follicular development beyond 2.5 mm diameter. There was no difference between the total number of follicles greater than 1.0 mm diameter present in the ovaries of GnRH agonist-treated ewes and day 8 luteal phase control ewes. During the sixth week of agonist treatment ewes were infused with ovine FSH (6 micrograms NIADDK-oFSH-16/h) in the presence of only basal concentrations of LH. After 24, 48, 72 or 120 h of FSH infusion, the mean number of follicles greater than 1.0 mm diameters per ewe was not significantly different between treated and control animals. Infusion of FSH caused a time-dependent increase in (1) the number of follicles per ovary greater than 2.5 mm, (2) the mean diameter of these follicles and (3) the proportion of the large follicles which could be classified as oestrogenic (greater than 3.7 nmol oestradiol/follicle per h in vitro). Injection of human chorionic gonadotrophin (750 IU i.m.) after 120 h of FSH infusion caused the majority of these large follicles to ovulate and form apparently normal corpora lutea. These results indicate that, in the absence of pulsatile LH, FSH stimulates the growth of normal large oestrogenic follicles which, when stimulated, ovulate to produce viable corpora lutea.