The effects of estradiol and progesterone on the growth and differentiation of the quail oviduct

Abstract

The effects of estradiol and progesterone treatment on the growth and differentiation of the quail oviduct have been investigated in terms of morphology, growth, and biochemical differentiation. Histologically, estradiol induced the formation of tubular gland cells by 5 days of treatment, and epithelial differentiation by 10 days of treatment. Progesterone treatment appeared to enhance epithelial differentiation slightly, compared with continued estrogen treatment. The estradiol treatment also enhanced the growth of the oviduct, as indicated by increases in size, weight, and the content of the tissue constituents protein, RNA, and DNA. Estradiol treatment also induced the synthesis of two specific proteins, ovalbumin and lysozyme; however, only progesterone induced the synthesis of the protein avidin. Withdrawal from both types of treatment for 10 days caused a loss of cells and of tissue constituents. This loss was greater in those birds withdrawn from sequential estrogen-plus-progesterone treatment than in those withdrawn from estrogen treatment. In some cases, specific proteins were also absent in oviducts from birds withdrawn from treatment.