Histological, immunohistochemical and serological investigations of the ovary during follicular phase of estrous cycle in Saidi sheep

Abstract The present study was conducted on 25 healthy ewes for serum analysis and 10 healthy ewes for histological assessment aged 2 to 5 years and weighted (35–42 Kg). This work was done to give more information on some hormonal, oxidative, and blood metabolites parameters in addition to histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical investigations of the ovary during follicular phase of estrous cycle in Saidi sheep. Our results revealed that the follicular phase of estrous cycle in Saidi sheep was characterized by the presence of ovarian follicles in different stages of development and atresia in addition to regressed corpus luteum. Here we give a new schematic sequence of ovarian follicles in Saidi sheep and describing the features of different types. We also clarified that these histological pictures of the ovary was influenced by hormonal, oxidative and blood metabolites factors that characterizes the follicular phase of estrous cycle in sheep.