HYPERTROPHY AND HYPERPLASIA IN THE MOUSE UTERUS AFTER OESTROGEN TREATMENT: AN AUTORADIOGRAPHIC STUDY

Abstract

SUMMARY The uteri of untreated ovariectomized mice consisted almost entirely of myometrium and connective tissue stroma. After oestrogenic stimulation these tissues underwent marked hypertrophy, but showed little proliferation. The luminal epithelium underwent marked hyperplasia, with most cells dividing twice to quadruple cell numbers by 35–40 h, when they made up 10–12% of the uterine tissue volume and 20% of the total uterine cell population. The proliferative response was rapid, highly synchronized and short-lived. The number of cells incorporating [3H]thymidine first increased 8·5 h after oestradiol-17β and by 13–16 h 60–70% were engaged in DNA synthesis. Up to 21 h cell-death was minimal. From 21 h onwards the proliferation rate declined and the rate of cell death increased. A second injection of oestrogen prevented the rise in death rate and produced a second smaller burst of DNA synthesis. Cells in DNA synthesis or mitosis were insensitive to oestrogen. A smaller proliferative response occurred in the glands: only 25% of cells entered DNA synthesis after the first injection of oestradiol and none after the second. Gland cells appeared to die in situ and there was no evidence that they migrated into the luminal epithelium.