Histochemical Observations on Lipids in the Goat Ovary

The goat ovary was investigated with histochemical techniques for lipids. In fetus ovaries, the cuboidal follicular epithelium of each primordial follicle contained a few fine lipid droplets. In normal preantral follicles, most had granulosa cells containing a few fine lipid droplets while others had those containing none. In normal antral follicles, theca interna as well as granulosa cells contained small to moderate amounts of fine lipid droplets, though more pronouncedly in the latter cells. Granulosa cells in atretic follicles became moderately or heavily loaded with coarse lipid droplets. During diestrus and early pregnancy, the cytoplasm of luteal cells showed lipids though only sparsely, while during estrus there was a slight increase in the amount of lipids. The interstitial cells always contained small to moderate amounts of lipid droplets. A moderate amount of cholesterol and its esters appeared in the corpus luteum. The granulosa cells and theca interna of atretic follicles contained a small amount of these, while normal follicles were usually negative to the Schultz test.