Abstract:
The study described a novel, rapidly performed, successful and safe surgical procedure in
rats to achieve a reduction in the number of conceptuses. The objectives were to investigate
the total foetal count and foetal health in both uterine horns after unilateral salpingectomy
compared to the control group. Sixteen female Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus norvegicus) were
allocated to the study of which 10 rats underwent unilateral salpingectomy with six controls
before all 16 were mated at 8–10 weeks of age. Gestational length was taken as 22 days,
determined from the day of appearance of the copulatory plug. The female rats were
terminated on day 19 or 20 of the gestational period. The foetuses in each horn were mapped
and counted for comparison between the salpingectomy and control groups. The gravid
uteri, individual foetal weights and placental weights were measured and compared
between the two groups. This study described a novel, rapidly performed, successful and
safe surgical procedure in rats. The mean number of foetuses in the salpingectomy group
was significantly smaller than the control group. No significant differences in foetal and
placental development were observed between the groups. These observations support
future investigation of unilateral salpingectomy in other species as an alternative surgical
method for population control.
