The effects of the interval between experiments and the total number of experiments on E2 and GnRH levels
| Experimental conditions | Mean E2 (pg/ml) | Mean GnRH (pg/ml) |
|---|---|---|
| Intervals between two probe insertions | ||
| 0–21 d from last experiment (n = 17) | 127 ± 58a | 4.48 ± 1.46b |
| 22–50 d from last experiment (n = 14) | 152 ± 59a | 3.26 ± 0.41b |
| Total number of experiments | ||
| 1–5 experiments conducted (n = 9) | 118 ± 58c | 3.75 ± 1.28d |
| 5–10 experiments conducted (n = 8) | 179 ± 136c | 2.24 ± 0.36d |
| 10–15 experiments conducted (n = 14) | 139 ± 59c | 4.54 ± 1.38d |
Retrospective analyses indicate that, reactive glia are not a likely a source of E2 release in the S-ME, as neither time between two microdialysis experiments nor the number of experiments were correlated with mean E2 and GnRH levels. The same letter indicates no difference between conditions by Student's t test (for the intervals between two probe insertions) or 1-way ANOVA (for the total number of experiments).
↵a: Mean E2 (p = 0.7658);
↵b: Mean GnRH (p = 0.4575);
↵c: Mean E2 (p = 0.8874);
↵d: Mean GnRH (p = 0.5967). Note that the total number of experiments can reach up to 15 times per animal, as the same animals were also co-assigned to two additional unrelated microdialysis sampling projects.