Cytoplasmic fine structure during hormonally controlled differentiation in vaginal epithelium

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Abstract
Cells of the vaginal epithelium of ovariectomized mice undergo differentiation in response to estrogen or progesterone injection. Estrogen causes an increase in number of cytoplasmic filaments in the basal and newly formed spinous layer and mucification of surface cells already present. The cells derived from the basal layer under estrogen influence later form a keratinized epithelium. Progesterone causes heightening and mucification of surface cells and invasion of leucocytes into the epithelium without mucification or keratinization of other cells. When estrogen is followed two days later by progesterone, spinous and more superficial cells are lost and replaced my mucous cells derived from the basal layer. Although the fine structure of basal and spinous cell cytoplasm looks identical, the spinous cells do not form mucous cells under progesterone influence. The reverse sequence of progesterone followed by estrogen produces a low epithelium which is then replaced by a keratinized epithelium. The surface mucous cells present during progesterone influence do not keratinize, however. Thus, fine structural features of basal cells typical for the influence of a given hormone do not limit or characterize the potential of daughter cells derived from that layer. Conversely, when hormones are used in sequence, cells which leave the basal layer under the influence of one hormone do not acquire the fine structural features characteristically produced by the second hormone used, even though basal cells are readily altered.