Estrogen target cells in the larynx: autoradiographic studies with 3H-diethylstilbestrol in fetal mice

Serial sections from 16-day mouse embryos from mothers injected with 3H-diethylstilbestrol were processed for autoradiography. The distribution, in the laryngeal region, of cells with nuclear concentrations of radioactivity was analyzed. Estrogen receptor cells were found in the mesenchyme of the vocal cords and lateral to the laryngeal aditus. The embryological and oncological implications of these findings are discussed.