Adrenergic innervation and steroidogenic activity of cystic porcine ovaries.

We studied both morphology and steroidogenic activity of porcine ovaries after dexamethasone (DMX)-induced polycystic status. In the polycystic-changed ovaries, an increase in the number of DbetaH-IR and/or NPY-IR nerve terminals was found in the wall of follicles, cysts and blood vessels. After DXM injections, we observed changes in the mean contents of progesterone, androstendione, estradiol-17beta, as well as noradrenaline, dopamine and adrenaline in the studied ovarian structures. The obtained data revealed that, in the polycystic ovaries of gilts, an increase in the number of adrenergic nerve terminals was associated with changes of the steroidogenic activity, what may suggest an important role of the adrenergic innervation in the ovarian cyst formation in the gilts.