DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2020.v07i01.003

Pages: 13-17

The population of Sunda porcupine (Hystrix javanica) is tends to decrease year by year, since it’s become rarely found in nature. This study was conducted to determine the histological structure and distribution of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the ovary of pregnant and non-pregnant Sunda porcupine. Five ovaries of pregnant and nonpregnant Sunda porcupine were used as samples. The ovaries were fixed in Bouin's solution, processed with paraffin method, and cut into 5μm thickness. The tissue slides were dyed using immunohistochemical staining method to determine the distribution of estrogen and progesterone receptors. The results were analyzed descriptively. Immunoreactivities of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the ovaries of non-pregnant Sunda porcupines were detected in the atretic follicle cells and theca internal cells of developing follicle, whereas in the ovaries of pregnant Sunda porcupine, immunoreactivities of estrogen and progesterone receptors only found in atretic follicle cells. Luteal cells of corpus luteum appeared to be immunoreactive against progesterone receptor antibodies with weak intensity in the ovary of pregnant Sunda porcupine. This study was confirming that there was little difference in expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in ovaries of non-pregnant and pregnant Sunda porcupine.