Abstract
Previously we reported that prepubertally ovariectomized mice that received young, transplanted ovaries at a postreproductive age displayed a 40% increase in life expectancy. To study this increase in life expectancy in greater detail, prepubertally ovariectomized and ovary-intact CBA/J mice underwent ovarian transplantation at 11 months with 60-day-old ovaries or a sham surgery. Life span was significantly increased in transplant recipients. Body-weight changes of mice in each group were measured from the time of surgery (11 months) to death. Neither ovariectomy nor ovarian transplantation influenced the amount of peak body-weight attained or body-weight retained at death. However, the time (days) to peak body-weight was decreased by ovariectomy and ovarian transplant recipients displayed a trend toward an increase in time to peak weight. In addition, ovarian transplantation decreased the rate of weight loss to death. These results demonstrate that ovarian status, examined by means of ovariectomy and ovarian transplantation, clearly influenced the rate of weight change, but not the total amount of weight gain or loss in female mice.