Pethidine at the dose level of 0.5 mg and 0.75 mg/100 g body weight administered for 20 days to the cycling albino rats caused decrease in the ovarian weight and its protein content. The ovarian folliculogenesis in treated rats is hampered; as a result the follicles which are at the different stages of growth underwent regression. Therefore, the number of healthy follicles is reduced and atretic follicles increased. The elevated levels of ovarian cholesterol and decreased level of glycogen in the pethidine treated rats indicates the inhibition brought in steroidogenesis, which is dependent on pituitary gonadotrophins.