Cervicovaginal abnormalities in BALB/c mice treated neonatally with sex hormones

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Abstract
Newborn female BALB/cCrgl mice received hormone treatments (daily for 5 days): 10−1 μg diethylstilbestrol (DES), 2 × 10−1 μg DES, 2 μg DES, 100 μg progesterone (P), 137 μg 17 α‐hydroxyprogesterone caproate, 10−1 μg DES + 100 μg P, 2 μg DES + 100 μg P, 5 μg testosterone (T), 20 μg T, 20 μg 5α‐dihydrotestosterone (DHT), or sesame oil and were examined at 25 days, 35 days, or from 10 to 30 days of age. Three major cervicovaginal abnormalities were noted: adenosis (heterotopic columnar epithelium) in the fornices; altered common cervical canal (aberrantly simplified cervical lumen), and twin fornix (lateral branching of either or both fornices). Only DES, administered alone or in conjunction with P, resulted in adenosis and altered common cervical canal. At 25 days, all mice given 2 × 10−1 μg DES showed adenosis. At 35 days, 75% of mice given 10−1 μg or 2 μg DES showed adenosis. Adenosis incidence following 10−1 μg DES was decreased by concomitant P. Altered common cervical canal was present in more than 90% of mice treated with DES alone at both 25 and 35 days; concomitant P lowered the incidence in mice receiving 10−1 μg DES. Neonatal exposure to endogenous prolactin from a pituitary transplant did not modify the response. Twin fornix was not evident 10 days after neonatal androgen treatment. The frequency increased significantly by day 15 of treatment, reaching 100% by day 20; incidence then declined to 86% and 63% on days 25 and 30 after treatment, respectively. Thus, neonatal sex hormone administration results in various cervicovaginal changes, some transient, decreasing with age in young mice.