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Relative levels of rat ovarian inhibin (I) and βA inhibin (βAI) mRNAs were measured during pregnancy by dot-blot hybridization of ovarian poly(A⁺) RNA. Follicular patterns of I and βAI expression in contralateral ovaries from the same rats were also studied by hybridization histochemistry. Oligodeoxynucleotide probes specific for porcine I and βAI were synthesized, ³²P end-labelled and used as hybridization probes on dot-blots of ovarian RNA and frozen sections of ovarian tissue from pregnant rats. During pregnancy, levels of I and βAI mRNAs remained fairly constant from day 7 after mating until parturition and then fell within 16 h post partum. In all ovaries observed, expression of inhibin genes was located in granulosa cells of healthy antral follicles. In general, the strongest signals for I and βAI mRNAs were obtained in large follicles, with weaker signals in smaller follicles. Follicular patterns of I and βAI expression during pregnancy were often dissimilar when βI and βAI were compared over a range of follicles. Considerable βI mRNA was detectable in some follicles in which βAI was reduced or undetectable, despite strong signals for both I and βAI in an adjacent follicle. Essentially, I mRNA levels were relatively consistent between groups of follicles, whereas βAI levels varied considerably. βAI mRNA was never observed in a follicle in the absence of I mRNA, indicating that activin production in any follicle occurs in the presence of I mRNA. Similar patterns of expression were observed in ovaries from pregnant mice. We have shown that expression of I and βAI inhibin genes is not regulated uniformly within follicles of pregnant rat and mouse ovaries.