The transperitoneal migration of ova in the rabbit.

The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and direction of the transperitoneal migration of ova in the rabbit. Sixteen New Zealand white rabbits underwent unilateral microsurgical enclosure of either the left (n = 9) or right (n = 7) ovary within a peritoneal bursa. Each animal was bred later to induce ovulation. The fallopian tubes were removed and flushed retrogadely to retrieve ova. The number of transmigrated ova retrieved from the oviduct ipsilateral to the ovary within the bursa was compared with the number of ovulated follicles present on the contralateral ovary. Three ova migrated to the left fallopian tube from a total of 49 ovulation sites on the right ovary. No ova transmigrated to the right oviduct from 33 ovulation sites on the left ovary. Chi-square analysis shows that there is no statistical difference between the tendency to right or left transmigration. This finding substantiates the numerous studies of reproductive physiology in the rabbit that have assumed previously the net transmigration of ova to be zero.