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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1996; 104(2): 111-122
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1211432
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© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Expression of estrogen receptor and proto-oncogene messenger ribonucleic acids in reproductive tracts of neonatally diethylstilbestrol-exposed female mice with or without postpuberal estrogen administration

K. Kamiya1 , T. Sato1 , N. Nishimura1 , Y. Goto1 , K. Kano2 , T. Iguchi1
  • 1Graduate School of Integrated Science, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236, Japan
  • 2Department of Physiological Chemistry and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
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Publication History

Publication Date:
15 July 2009 (online)

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Summary

Perinatal treatment of female mice with natural and synthetic estrogens including diethylstilbestrol (DES) results in estrogen-independent persistent proliferation and cornification of the vaginal epithelium. The dynamics of the induction of estrogen receptor (ER), c-jun, c-fos and c-myc mRNAs by 17β-estradiol (E2) was examined in the uterus and vagina of neonatally DES-exposed and -unexposed ovariectomized adult mice. In the uterus of neonatally DES-unexposed ovariectomized mice, the expression of ER mRNA increased within 1 h after E2 administration and declined by 12 h thereafter. ER mRNA in the vagina decreased within 1 h after the stimulation and recovered by 12 h thereafter. In the uterus, c-jun and c-fos mRNAs increased in concentration within 1 h after E2 administration, showing a peak 3 h after the stimulation; they decreased with time thereafter. In the vagina, the concentration of c-jun and c-fos mRNAs increased rapidly, reaching a peak within 1 h after the stimulation. However, the expression of c-myc in uterus and vagina was not changed by postpuberal E2. These results suggest that estrogen regulation of ER and proto-oncogene mRNAs in the vagina differs from those in the uterus. In the neonatally DES-exposed ovariectomized adult mice, uterine ER mRNA expression levels were significantly higher than in the unexposed ovariectomized controls; however, vaginal levels were drastically lower than in the controls. Expression of c-jun and c-fos mRNAs was greater in both the uterus (3- and 6-fold, respectively) and the vagina (18- and 4-fold) of neonatally DES-exposed mice than in controls. The ER mRNA and the increased levels of c-fos and c-jun mRNAs in both uterus and vagina of neonatally DES-exposed ovariectomized mice were not further altered by postpuberal E2 and may be related to ovary-independent persistent changes in the genital tract.

Key words

Estrogen receptor mRNA - proto-oncogenes - diethylstilbestrol - uterus - vagina

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