Abstract
This study was undertaken to measure the concentrations of estradiol-$17{\beta}$, progesterone and testosterone, and to study their relationship with each other and with follicular size in individual buffalo ovarian follicles categorized as small (4 to 5 mm diameter), medium (6 to 9 mm diameter) and large (${\geq}10mm$ diameter). Steroid hormone concentrations varied markedly within follicles of each size category. Estradiol-$17{\beta}$ concentrations (pmol/ml) were positively related to follicular diameter (R = 0.34, n = 308, p < 0.001) and were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in large (1$118.46{\pm}30.25$), compared to those in medium follicles ($50.32{\pm}8.29$) which, in turn were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than those in small follicles ($19.70{\pm}$5.57). Progesterone and testosterone concentrations (pmol/ml) were not related to follicular diameter and were not different among small ($330.99{\pm}27.32$ and $17.68{\pm}2.44$ respectively), medium ($384.84{\pm}26.20$ and $36.47{\pm}4.55$, respectively) and large follicles ($253.25{\pm}32.23$ and $22.57{\pm}4.48$, respectively). Estradiol-$17{\beta}$ and progesterone concentrations were positively related (R = 0.39, n = 47, p < 0.01) in small, unrelated in medium and negatively related in large follicles (R = -0.59, n = 23, p < 0.01). There was no relationship between estradiol-$17{\beta}$ and testosterone concentrations in follicles of all the three size categories. Progesterone and testosterone concentrations were positively related in large follicles (R = 0.57, n = 18, p < 0.02). There was no relationship between the two hormones in small and medium sized follicles. When the follicles with estradiol-$17{\beta}$/progesterone molar ratios of > 1.00 were considered non-atretic, and the rest at different stages of atresia, 197/208(95%) follicles were found to be atretic.