HORMONAL REGULATION OF CELL DIVISION IN EPITHELIAL AND CONNECTIVE TISSUES OF THE MOUSE UTERUS

Abstract

SUMMARY Progesterone treatment significantly altered the response of the mouse uterus to oestradiol-17β. Oestradiol given alone produced many mitoses in the luminal and glandular epithelia but not in the connective tissue stroma. After treatment with progesterone this pattern was reversed and oestradiol produced many mitoses in the stroma but few in the epithelia. Production of stromal cell division was influenced by the dose of progesterone and by the period of treatment; a single day of treatment greatly reduced the numbers of epithelial mitoses produced by oestradiol but did not greatly increase stromal mitosis. At least 3 days' treatment was necessary for a maximal stromal response. Doses of oestradiol sufficient to inhibit implantation and deciduomata production did not reverse the stromal response but did overcome, in part, the progestational suppression of epithelial mitosis, producing large numbers of mitoses in the luminal but not in the glandular epithelium.