PRODUCTION OF ANDROGENS AND ESTROGENS BY TUBULAR ADENOMAS WHICH DEVELOPED IN OVARIES OF MUTANT MICE OF SL/SLT GENOTYPE

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 44  (5) , 1827-1830
Abstract
Bilateral tubular adenomas develop spontaneously in ovaries of WB .times. C57BL/6 F1-Sl/Slt mice after exponential loss of oocytes. The ability of this tumor to produce sex steroids was investigated. Incubation of tubular adenoma tissue with [3H]progesterone resulted in production of [3H]androstenedione and [3H]-testosterone. The amount of androgens produced by the tumor tissue was much greater than that produced by the normal ovarian tissue. The concentration of testosterone in the serum of the Sl/Slt mice bearing tubular adenomas, measured by radioimmunoassay, was about 5 times as high as the value in the serum of the congenic +/+ mice. Although incubation of the tumor tissue with [3H]androstenedione resulted in production of 3H-estrogens, the aromatase activity of the tumor tissue was .apprx. 1/5 of that of the normal ovarian tissue. The major sex steroid secreted by tubular adenomas seemed to be testosterone. These endocrinological features of tubular adenomas were consistent with the following pathological features of the Sl/Sl+ mice with the tumors: although the weight of uterus of the Sl/Sl+ mice was .apprx. 1/2 of the value observed in the +/+ mice, it decreased markedly after oophorectomy; and submandibular glands of the Sl/Sl+ mice were significantly heavier than those of the +/+ mice.