NEOPLASTIC AND PRENEOPLASTIC LESIONS INDUCED IN FEMALE C3H MICE BY DIETS CONTAINING DIETHYLSTILBESTROL OR 17-BETA-ESTRADIOL

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 4  (5-6) , 81-95
Abstract
To study the long term effects of estrogenic diets, 2160 virgin female C3H/HeI mice, having a high titer to the mammary tumor virus factor (MMTV), were fed diets containing 0, 10, 100, 500 or 1000 ppb diethylstilbestrol (DES) or 100, 1000 or 5000 ppb 17.beta.-estradiol (E2) from 6-110 wk of age; 1368 virgin female C3H3B/FeJ mice, having a low titer to the MMTV, were fed diets containing DES from 6-136 wk. In estrogen-treated mice, the incidence of cervical adenosis and of mammary hyperplastic alveolar nodules increased and the time to development of mammary adenocarcinomas decreased. These changes increased with dose and time and appeared earlier in the C3H/HeJ mice. Other tumors observed included 32 cervical and 20 endometrial adenocarcinomas, 16 cervical granular cell myoblastomas, 12 peritoneal mesotheliomas involving the uterus, 2 cervical and 4 vaginal squamous cell carcinomas, 2 ovarian teratomas, 6 osteosarcomas, 25 pheochromocytomas and 3 thyroid carcinomas. Of these tumors, 1 cervical and 2 endometrial adenocarcinomas and 4 pheochromocytomas occurred in C3HeB/FeJ control mice at 104-130 wk; none occurred in C3H/HeJ controls. The MMTV facilitates the development of mammary lesions in C3H mice; estrogens predispose C3H mice to endometrial and cervical adenocarcinomas. Cervical adenosis may be a precursor of cervical adenocarcinoma in C3H mice and serve as an early indicator of the potential uterine carcinogenicity of a test compound. The C3H mouse may serve as an animal model for uterine adenocarcinomas and adenosis in women exposed to estrogens.