Nature of induced persistent vaginal cornification in mice. II. Effect of estradiol and testosterone on vaginal epithelium of mice of different ages.

Abstract

AbstractImmature female mice of the BALB/c strain were treated with 25 m̈g/day of estradiol or testosterone for five days, beginning at various ages. Ovary‐independent persistent vaginal cornification was obtained only when the treatment was started within 24 hours after birth, although some irreversible hyperplasia of the epithelium was observed in mice treated with estradiol beginning at three days of age. Ovary‐dependent persistent vaginal estrus occurred when treatment was begun at ten days or earlier with estradiol, and at seven days or earlier with testosterone.Vaginae of one‐day and three‐week‐old BALB/c mice were transplanted into one‐day‐old and into three‐week‐old syngeneic hosts. Hosts were treated with various doses of estradiol. Irrespective of the age of the hosts, ovary‐independent hyperplasia or cornification occurred in transplants from one‐day‐old donors. Transplants from three‐week‐old donors showed only ovary‐dependent cornification. The results suggest, however, that both vaginal tissue age and host age play some role in determining the nature and occurrence of steroid‐induced persistent vaginal changes.