Figure 2.

The proportion of atretic and healthy follicles of different stages in each group of baseline or implanted pieces of tissue (weighted mean±s.e.m.). There was a significant decrease in the proportion of primordial follicles and an increase in atresia when tissue was implanted (P=0.014 and 0.002 respectively). The proportion of primary follicles was increased in those pieces exposed to androgen in the absence (P=0.019) or presence (P<0.001) of FSH. There was a highly significant corresponding reduction in atresia in each case (P<0.001). FSH also increased primary follicle numbers (P=0.013), but there was no change in the proportion of atretic follicles with this hormone.