Male pheromone stimulates ovarian follicular development and body growth in juvenile female opossums (Monodelphis domestica)

Table 1 Summary of the effects of male pheromone on somatic and follicular growth in juvenile opossums. Different superscripts indicate age-related differences in unexposed females. Asterisks indicate differences between exposed and unexposed females within an age group (P < 0.05).

Treatment: and Age	n	Body Length (cm)	Body Mass (g)	Growth Rate (g/week)	Number of Follicles	Follicle Diameter (μm)
Unexposed: 90 days	4	19.6 ± 0.2 ^a	45.3 ± 2.7 ^a		1.5 ± 2.8 ^a ‡	354 ± 46 ^ab
Unexposed: 105 days	4	20.4 ± 0.5 ^a	46.4 ± 1.3 ^a	2.2 ± 0.5 ^a	10.8 ± 1.7 ^b	353 ± 12 a
Exposed: 105 days	5	21.2 ± 0.2	52.3 ± 2.1 *	4.3 ± 0.7 *	13.2 ± 2.0	388 ± 7 *
Unexposed: 130 days	5	21.8 ± 0.1 ^b	56.6 ± 1.1 ^b	1.8 ± 0.3 ^a	17.2 ± 2.6 ^b	393 ± 4 ^b
Exposed: 130 days	5 ^#	21.9 ± 0.1	63.5 ± 1.1 *	3.8 ± 0.1 *	17.8 ± 5.2	534 ± 54 *
Unexposed: 150 days	5	21.9 ± 0.4 ^b	58.2 ± 5.6 ^ab	1.3 ± 0.4 ^a	14.4 ± 1.8 ^b	394 ± 6 ^b

‡ 6 follicles in one of four females. # Ovarian histology available for four of five females.

ISSN: 1477-7827