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Published on: September 15, 2012
DEVELOPMENT OF VAGINAL EPITHELIUM SHOWING IRREVERSIBLE PROLIFERATION AND CORNIFICATION IN NEONATALLY ESTROGENIZED
Noboru Takasugi1, Yoshihisa Kamishima1
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Okayama University Tsushima, Okayama 700, Japan.
Irreversible proliferation and cornification of the mouse vaginal epithelium were induced by 10 daily injections of 20μg estradiol-17β starting on the day of birth. Development of the irreversible vaginal epithelium during the period of estrogen injections in early postnatal life was observed under light and electron microscopes. Small electron-dense cells (A-cells) in clusters were present in the columnar vaginal epithelium of newborn mice. A-cells were proliferated by 2 daily estrogen injections. At the sites of A-cell clumps, large electron-dense cells (B-cells) characterized by long winding cytoplasmic processes appeared in mice given 3 daily injections, forming nodules which then fused together to form a layer under the columnar epithelium after 4 daily injections. In mice given 7 daily injections, the primary epithelium was shed by the superficial cornification of the newly formed layer. The B-cell membrane bore fewer desmosomes than in the basal and intermediary cells of the vaginal epithelium of ovariectomized 'normal' adult mice after 5 daily injections of 100μg estradiol-17β. Hyperplastic epithelial downgrowths in old ovariectomized mice given neonatal estrogen injections contained another type of cells with reduced density which formed much fewer processes and only a few desmosomes (C-cells).
Irreversible proliferation and cornification of the mouse vaginal epithelium were induced by 10 daily injections of 20μg estradiol-17β starting on the day of birth. Development of the irreversible vaginal epithelium during the period of estrogen injections in early postnatal life was observed under light and electron microscopes. Small electron-dense cells (A-cells) in clusters were present in the columnar vaginal epithelium of newborn mice. A-cells were proliferated by 2 daily estrogen injections. At the sites of A-cell clumps, large electron-dense cells (B-cells) characterized by long winding cytoplasmic processes appeared in mice given 3 daily injections, forming nodules which then fused together to form a layer under the columnar epithelium after 4 daily injections. In mice given 7 daily injections, the primary epithelium was shed by the superficial cornification of the newly formed layer. The B-cell membrane bore fewer desmosomes than in the basal and intermediary cells of the vaginal epithelium of ovariectomized 'normal' adult mice after 5 daily injections of 100μg estradiol-17β. Hyperplastic epithelial downgrowths in old ovariectomized mice given neonatal estrogen injections contained another type of cells with reduced density which formed much fewer processes and only a few desmosomes (C-cells).
