54Mn uptake by the ovaries and reproductive tract of cycling and anestrous ewes.

The uptake of 54Mn by the ovaries and reproductive tract of cycling and anestrous ewes has been investigated following intravenous injection of a single dose of 54MnCl2 and sacrifice of the ewes 6 h later. The uptake of 54Mn was greater in the Graafian follicle and the corpus luteum (CL) of the cycle than in the other components of the ovary. An increased uptake of radioactivity was recorded in the CL of the 11th day of the cycle when compared with that of the 4th day. The uptake of 54Mn was lower in the corpus albicans and follicles. A low uptake of radiomanganese was found also in the various tissues of the reproductive tract. These findings indicate that manganese may play a role in the normal functioning of ovarian activity in the ewe.