Gossypol Promotes Degeneration of Ovarian Follicles in Rats

Table 3

Ovarian follicle populations in female rats dosed with gossypol (25 mg/kg/day) or 0.9% saline (control group) subcutaneously for 15 consecutive days.

Follicles	Control (𝑛=12)	Gossypol (𝑛=12)	𝑃 value^1
Number of normal follicles
Primordial	341.8±25.6	122.6±20.1	<0.0001
Primary	115.5±14.8	49.0±5.03	0.0008635
Secondary	62.6±11.3	20.1±4.54	0.003426
Antral	55.8±6.52	14.5±3.71	<0.0001
Total	𝟓𝟕𝟓.𝟔±𝟓𝟏.𝟖	𝟐𝟎𝟔.𝟐±𝟐𝟕.𝟗	<0.0001
Number of atretic follicles
Primordial	66.3±10.7	168.3±24.1	0.001489
Primary	22.5±2.32	65.8±6.99	<0.0001
Secondary	22.2±4.26	71.7±9.44	0.00023
Antral	8.08±1.52	39.6±3.95	<0.0001
Total	𝟏𝟏𝟗.𝟏±𝟏𝟐.𝟖	𝟑𝟒𝟓.𝟒±𝟑𝟐.𝟖	<0.0001
Proportion of follicles (in %)
Normal	82.1±2.05	36.6±1.73	<0.0001
Atretic	17.8±2.05	63.4±1.73	<0.0001
Number of total follicles
Total	694.7±54.5	551.6±57.2	n.s.

1Welch’s 𝑡 test.
n.s.: not significant (𝑃>0.05).