Abstract

The study was conducted to understand the hormonal requirements for ovarian follicle growth and maturation in Iraqi camels by determining the levels of some hormones such as estradiol-17beta, progesterone and testosterone in the fluids of ovarian follicles of different sizes during the seasons of the year. Ovaries free of any gross pathological change were collected from (80) sexually mature, non-pregnant female camels slaughtered in the slaughterhouses of Diwaniyah Governorate and Najaf Governorate at a rate of one visit - two visits per week for each slaughterhouse for a full year starting from October 2004 until October 2005. The apparently healthy follicles were classified into four size categories according to diameter: 1 (2-5 mm), 2 (>5-10 mm), 3 (>10-15 mm) and 4 (>15-25 mm). The follicular fluids were withdrawn using wine syringes, then the fluids of the follicles of the same size that were collected on the same day were mixed and placed in tightly closed tubes at a temperature of (-20°C) until the time of hormonal analysis. The results of the study showed that the increase in the size of the follicles is accompanied by an increase in the concentration of the hormones estradiol - 17beta and progesterone and a decrease in the concentration of the hormone testosterone in them and The different seasons have no significant effect on the concentration of any of these hormones.