Tissue Changes in Mice With Persistent Vaginal Cornification Induced by Early Postnatal Treatment With Estrogen2

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Abstract
Female mice from inbred strains A/Crgl, BALB/cCrgl, C3H/Crgl, C57BL/Grgl, and Rlll/Crgl received daily injections of 5 μg estradiol-17β for 5 days during the 1st week of life. Daily vaginal smears revealed persistent vaginal cornification. At 7 to 15 months of age, vaginae, uteri, ovaries, adrenals, mammary glands, and pituitaries were examined for changes. Extensive epithelial lesions, many resembling those of precancerous or cancerous nature seen after prolonged estrogen treatment, were observed in the vagina in many of the “persistent-estrous” mice of all strains except C3H. The uteri and mammary glands showed no evidence of stimulation. The vaginal response is discussed in terms of the selection of an estrogen-independent cell population by the early postnatal hormone treatment.