ABSTRACT
In mammals and other vertebrates, hormones provide an important role in regulating normal reproductive tract development and function. Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a non-steroidal compound with properties similar to the natural female sex hormone estradiol, was synthesized in 1938; it was specifically designed for its potent estrogenic activity and its easy solubility. For almost thirty years, physicians prescribed DES to women with high-risk pregnancies to prevent miscarriages and other complications of pregnancy. Unquestionably, the ovary is a target for perturbation by DES and other environmental estrogenic compounds. Cellular defects in the oviduct of DES-exposed mice likely contributed to functional abnormalities. In DES-treated mice, the columnar cells lining the oviductal lumen and the mucosal folds were irregularly arranged as compared to controls. In response to estrogen stimulation, prepubescent mice exposed to high doses of DES during prenatal development displayed decreased uterine growth response, decreased uterine luminal fluid quantity and protein concentration, alterations in specific uterine luminal proteins, and altered cellular differentiation.
