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PubMed1997

Apoptotic cell death during the estrous cycle in the rat uterus and vagina.

BACKGROUND: Rodent uterus and vagina show marked histological changes during the estrous cycle. Apoptotic cell death has been demonstrated in hamster and rat uterine epithelium during the estrous cycle by electron microscopy: numerous epithelial cells undergo apoptosis at estrus. We examined cell death and cell proliferation in rat uterus and vagina during estrous cycle. METHODS: To examine the rate of proliferation in uterine and vaginal cells at each estrous stage, the numbers of cells at metaphase were counted separately in epithelial and stromal cells. We identified the apoptotic cells in uterus and vagina at each estrous stage by using DNA fragmentation, in situ DNA 3'-end labeling, and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Mitotic rates in uterine luminal and glandular epithelial cells were low at metestrus and estrus, respectively. Intense fragmentation was found in the uterus at metestrus and in the vagina at proestrus and metestrus. In uterine luminal and glandular epithelial cells, apoptotic index showed peaks at metestrus and estrus, respectively. In vaginal epithelial cells, many apoptotic cells were encountered in the superficial layer at proestrus, which may contribute to keratinization. In the middle and basal layer of vaginal epithelial cells, apoptotic index was high at metestrus, when mitotic rate was low. Electron microscopy confirmed the results of the labeling studies. CONCLUSIONS: Apoptotic cell death was encountered in the uterus and vagina during estrous cycle in rats. There is an inverse correlation between cell death and cell proliferation in rat uterine and vaginal epithelial cells during the estrous cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Lifetime changes in the vulva and vagina.

The morphology and physiology of the vulva and vagina change over a lifetime. The most salient changes are linked to puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. The cutaneous epithelia of the mons pubis, labia, and clitoris originate from the embryonic ectoderm and exhibit a keratinized, stratified structure similar to the skin at other sites. The mucosa of the vulvar vestibule, which originates from the embryonic endoderm, is non-keratinized. The vagina, derived from the embryonic mesoderm, is responsive to estrogen cycling. At birth, the vulva and vagina exhibit the effects of residual maternal estrogens. During puberty, the vulva and vagina acquire mature characteristics in a sequential fashion in response to adrenal and gonadal maturation. A trend to earlier pubertal onset has been observed in Western developed countries. In women of reproductive age, the vaginal mucosa responds to steroid hormone cycling, exhibiting maximal thickness and intracellular glycogen content at mid-cycle. Vulvar skin thickness remains unchanged but menstrual cycle-associated changes in ortho- and parakeratosis occur at the cytological level. The vulva and vagina further adapt to the needs of pregnancy and delivery. After menopause, tissue atrophy ensues. Post-menopausal changes in skin barrier function, skin hydration, and irritant susceptibility have been observed on exposed skin but not on the vulva. Nevertheless, older women with incontinence are at increased risk for developing incontinence dermatitis. A combination of factors, such as tissue atrophy, slower dissipation of excess skin hydration, shear forces associated with limited mobility, and lower tissue regeneration capacity increase the risk of morbidity from incontinence dermatitis in older women.

Aging↗
PubMed1989

Oestrogen concentrations in plasma, endometrium, myometrium and vagina of postmenopausal women, and effects of vaginal oestriol (E3) and oestradiol (E2) applications.

Oestradiol (E2), oestriol (E3) and oestrone (E1) levels were measured in plasma and endometrium, myometrium and vagina of 29 postmenopausal women who underwent hysterectomy. The influence of vaginal E3, compared to vaginal E2 therapy at a dose one-tenth that of E3 on the basal steroid levels was examined. We found (1) no correlation between basal tissue and plasma concentrations of the oestrogens in untreated postmenopausal women, however, after vaginal E3 therapy we did find a positive correlation between them, (2) E2 to be the oestrogen in the highest basal concentration in endometrium and myometrium as well as in the vagina, (3) higher basal concentrations of all three oestrogens in endometrium compared to myometrium and vagina, (4) a long term (at least 12 h) elevation of the plasma and tissue E3 concentrations after vaginal E3 therapy (0.5 mg per day), (5) no significant changes of the plasma and tissue E2 concentrations after 0.05 mg per day vaginal E2 therapy, measured 12 h after the last application and (6) no signs of a difference between vagina and uterus in uptake and retention of E3 or E2. In conclusion, there was no difference on this level of mechanism of action in vagina and uterus which can account for the supposed vaginotrophicity and non-uterotrophicity observed with E3 but not E2.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed2001

Distribution of topical medication in the human vagina as imaged by magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the varying distribution of a vaginally placed gel over time and with different levels of patient activity. DESIGN: Prospectives interventional trial. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENT(S): One nulliparous volunteer with normal menstrual cycles and no gynecologic disease who underwent seven MRI scans of the pelvis. INTERVENTION(S): Five mL of a commercially available topical spermicide was mixed with gadolinium-chelate magnetic resonance contrast material and introduced with a standard applicator. T1-weighted three-dimensional MRI was done to assess the distribution of the gel. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Gel thickness and distribution. RESULT(S): The initial bolus of gel was delivered into the upper portion of the vagina, above the urogenital diaphragm. Thereafter, it spread into the vaginal fornices and "flattened" to cover the lateral aspects of the vagina. Without ambulation, the majority of spread was confined to the upper vagina. With ambulation and longer elapsed time, the gel spread further in the upper vagina and into the lower vagina, and significant vaginal surface coverage increased significantly. CONCLUSION(S): Magnetic resonance imaging can be used to monitor the spread of vaginally placed products and to evaluate coverage of topical drugs used for prevention and treatment, including those used for HIV prophylaxis.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1998

Rectovestibular fistula with absent vagina: a unique anorectal malformation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: A very unusual anorectal defect consisting of a vestibular fistula and absent vagina is presented. Only two previous isolated reports were found in the literature describing a repair that included both abdominal and perineal approach. The authors present another technical alternative that allows the repair via posterior sagittal. METHODS: Of 1,007 patients with anorectal malformations analyzed, eight female cases shared the common anatomic features of a vestibular fistula and absent vagina. What appeared to be the vagina was actually the rectal orifice ending in the vestibule, and the vagina was absent. With the posterior sagittal approach, the distal rectum was used to create the neovagina. The proximal rectum was mobilized and placed within the limits of the sphincter mechanism. Two of the eight patients were born with a patent upper third remnant of the vagina. In one case, the remnant was anastomosed to the neovagina at the time of colostomy closure; in the second one, the anastomosis was performed during the main repair. RESULTS: Four patients are continent of urine and have voluntary bowel movements. One patient is younger than 3 years and therefore has not been evaluated. One patient has a very poor sacrum and therefore is incontinent. One patient had a primary repair elsewhere and therefore is excluded, and another patient is lost to follow-up. One patient is already sexually active. CONCLUSIONS: It is mandatory to perform a meticulous inspection of the perineum in female patients with anorectal malformations to detect unusual defects. Also, a high index of suspicion is necessary to establish the diagnosis of this defect and avoid an inadequate treatment. The posterior sagittal approach represents another alternative to treat these defects without the need for a laparotomy.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2003

Selecting suspension points and excising the vagina during Michigan four-wall sacrospinous suspension.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the variations in the location of the vaginal apex and the length of vagina excised in women undergoing the Michigan four-wall sacrospinous suspension for posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse. METHODS: A prospective observational study of 76 women who had the Michigan modification sacrospinous suspension performed between 1998 and 2001 for posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse was carried out. Demographics and preoperative, operative, and postoperative findings were noted, including the pelvic organ prolapse quantification score. The locations of the suspension points relative to the hysterectomy scar were recorded. The amount of vagina excised at surgery and the pre- and postoperative vaginal lengths are reported. RESULTS: The mean length and standard deviation of vagina excised was 4.6 +/- 2.5 cm. The apex created at sacrospinous fixation was at the hysterectomy scar in only seven women (9%). It was most often situated behind the hysterectomy scar, in 58 cases (76%); it was situated in front of it in 11 (14%). In seven women no vagina was excised, and in the remaining 69 women a mean length of 5.1 +/- 2.2 cm was removed. The mean vaginal lengths were 9.7 +/- 1.7 cm preoperatively and 9.4 cm +/- 0.8 postoperatively, a 0.3-cm difference. CONCLUSION: When one performs the Michigan modification sacrospinous suspension, the chosen suspension points are often not at the hysterectomy scar, and in women with large prolapses excess vagina frequently is excised without compromising postoperative vaginal length.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multiple mechanisms are involved in apoptotic cell death in the mouse uterus and vagina after ovariectomy.

Withdrawal of sex hormones by gonadectomy results in rapid involution of mouse reproductive organs. To study the regression mechanism in the uterus and vagina after ovariectomy, histologic and biochemical changes were examined. Apoptotic cells were detected by in situ 3'-DNA nick end labeling method and electron microscopy, while the number of cells showing incorporation of bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) decreased in the uterus and vagina after ovariectomy. DNA fragmentation in the uterus was observed even at estrus and the degree of fragmentation increased after ovariectomy. DNA fragmentation in the vagina occurred 1-5 days after ovariectomy. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR revealed that expression of Fas-ligand and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA in the uterus and vagina was increased by ovariectomy. These results suggest that apoptotic cell death is induced by ovariectomy through the mediation of both Fas and TNF-alpha in the mouse uterus and vagina; however, uterine and vaginal cells in CBA lpr(cg)/lpr(cg) mice lacking functional Fas showed apoptosis, indicating that Fas is not the sole regulator of apoptosis in female reproductive organs in mice.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of neonatal exposure to DES in Fas and Bcl-2 expression in the adult mouse vagina and approach to the DES syndrome.

Neonatal exposure to a synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), induces the ovary-independent persistent proliferation of vaginal epithelium in mice. Mouse vagina at the estrous stage in the normal estrous cycle shows 10 to 15 layers of epithelium with superficial keratinized layers, and ovariectomy induces a decrease of these epithelial cell layers and lymphocyte infiltration. Thus, cell proliferation and regression of vaginal epithelium are ovary dependent. Neonatally DES-treated mouse vagina showed the same phenotype as normal mouse vagina at the estrous stage, but ovariectomy did not induce a decrease of epithelial cell layers or a lymphocyte infiltration, and there was persistent proliferation of vaginal epithelium even after ovariectomy. In addition, apoptotic cell death characterized by oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation, Fas expression, and Bcl-2 downregulation were induced after ovariectomy in normal mouse vagina, but not in DES-treated mouse vagina. These results suggest that neonatal DES-exposure in mice prevents vaginal Fas-mediated apoptosis following the downregulation of Bcl-2, and these abnormalities in expression are involved in persistent proliferation of the vaginal epithelium.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

The microvascular architecture of the rat vagina revealed by image analysis of vascular corrosion casts.

BACKGROUND: Female sexual dysfunction is a common but poorly understood human condition. One of the aspects hindering progress in this area is the lack of appropriate animal models that can be used to study the complex factors involved in this sexual health problem. Recently, attention has focused on the probable role of vascular dynamics of the genital organs and their potential for impact on female sexuality. The objective of this study was to provide a better description of the vascular anatomy of the female rat vagina and external genital organs in an attempt to better develop this as an animal model to study female sexual dysfunction. METHODS: Young female (nonestrous) virgin rats were anesthetized, the abdominal aorta was cannulated, and the distal vasculature was flushed and fixed in vivo for histological studies or for subsequent infusion with Mercox resin for vascular corrosion casting. Vascular corrosion casts of the external genitalia (vagina and vulva) were studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Fixed tissue specimens were also embedded and sectioned for histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy imaging allowed a description of the vascular and microvascular system of the nonestrous female rat genitalia. Major feeding vessels were located laterally in the muscular and serosal layers of the vagina with a complex system of interanastomosing collaterals between these large lateral trunks. The sub-epithelial region of the vaginal wall contains a dense and rich network of capillaries that perfuse the epithelium. These data were corroborated by two- dimensional histochemistry and immunostaining for endothelial and smooth muscle cells on paraffin-embedded thin sections of the female vagina and vulva. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first detailed three-dimensional en bloc view of the macro- and microvascular anatomy of the female rat vagina and vulva. The findings suggest an active interaction between the microvasculature and the epithelial cells of the vaginal wall. This study will provide the basic anatomic groundwork for future experiments on perturbations of the vascular system of the rat female genitalia in response to hormonal stimuli and various disease states.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Morphological modifications in clitoris and vagina in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We evaluated possible morphological alteration in clitoris and vagina from spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive WKY rats. Clitoris and vagina were processed by Masson's trichrome, anti-alpha-smooth-muscle actin, anticollagen type I (COL I) and type III (COL III), and anti-TGFbeta(1). SHR presented higher amount of clitoral cavernous smooth muscle (CSM), vascular smooth muscle; TGFbeta(1) in clitoral vessel wall; higher wall/lumen ratio in both vaginal and clitoral vessels; and remarkable interstitial fibrosis, expressed by a higher amount in interstitial COL I and III in both clitoris and vagina, compared to WKY rats. Nerve fibers from clitoral and vaginal tissue in SHR showed important fibrosis at perineurium. SHR showed positive correlation between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and clitoral CSM; SBP and fibrosis in clitoris; and SBP and COL I and III in clitoris, respectively. Similar findings were observed between SBP and COL I and III in vagina. In conclusion, SHR present morphologic changes in clitoral vessels as well as in clitoral cavernous space, which have a high positive correlation with the high blood pressure level. Moreover, the increase in extracellular matrix affects not only the clitoral and vaginal interstitium but also the nerve structures from both clitoris and vagina.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The prevalence of the human papillomavirus in cervix and vagina in low-risk and high-risk populations.

Concordance of HPV between vagina and cervix may be influenced by sample taking and by differences in flow of cervical epithelial cells. To investigate the latter aspect, from 96 women visiting their general practitioner, and 63 sex workers visiting a STI clinic, both vaginal and cervical samples for HPV detection were obtained by the doctor to standardize sample taking. To identify factors that may influence the flow of cervical epithelial cells to the vagina, a questionnaire on intimate hygiene was obtained. The overall HPV prevalence was 22.8%; 14.3% in the general population (14.3% in the cervix, 11.9% in the vagina), compared with 34.4% in sex workers (31.1% in the cervix, 27.9% in the vagina). There was excellent agreement between HPV prevalence in vaginal and cervical samples. The overall agreement was 94.5% (kappa = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.77-0.89); in the general population agreement reached 97.6%, compared with 90.0% in sex workers. Vaginal infection may influence concordance, but for validation of this finding larger studies are necessary. The high concordance found between HPV prevalence in vagina and cervix warrants further study of the applicability of self-sampling to improve coverage rates by attracting women who would otherwise not obtain a pap test.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Model of counter-current transfer from vagina to urethra in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Low-dose vaginal oestrogens are effective in treating post-menopausal urogenital atrophy without inducing endometrial proliferation. We aimed to assess whether this dichotomic effect could be the result of a preferential vagina-to-urethra transfer via a counter-current transfer of oestrogens from vagina to the arterial blood supplying the urethra. Due to the impossibility of obtaining blood samples from urethral arteries, and since the nature of counter-current exchange of substances is similar to the transfer of heat, we investigated cold transfer throughout the anterior vaginal wall to the vesical trigone and urethra. METHODS: Plastic tubes filled with cold saline were inserted into the vagina of 30 menopausal women. Temperatures were recorded at the vesical trigone and at three different urethral sites. Comparisons were performed 2 and 4.5 min after starting of cooling, and 4.5 min after removal of tubes. RESULTS: The urethra cooled significantly more than the bladder. Urethral cooling was not homogeneous; distal sites of the urethra cooled significantly more than proximal site and bladder despite a larger distance to the vaginal cooling device. CONCLUSIONS: Distribution of cold from the vagina to the urethra is not the result of simple diffusion and mechanisms of preferential distribution may exist from the vagina to the middle and low part of the urethra.

Administration, Intravaginal↗
PubMed2001

Preferential vascular-based transfer from vagina to the corpus but not to the tubal part of the uterus in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal administration of progesterone during infertility treatment has therapeutic advantages over oral administration. However, the reasons for this are poorly defined. To demonstrate a preferential vagina-to-uterus distribution of substances, we investigated cold distribution from vagina to the uterus and rectum. METHOD: In 10 postmenopausal women, thermoprobes were inserted into the uterine cavity and in the rectum at <9 cm or at >9 cm from the anus; temperatures were subsequently measured during 10 min flushing of vagina with cold saline. RESULTS: After 10 min, temperature decreased as follows: uterus, tubal angle: -0.22 +/- 0.07 degrees C, 10 (mean +/- SEM, n); uterus, middle cavity: -1.26 +/- 0.34 degrees C, 9; rectum, <9 cm insertion: -3.69 +/- 0.68 degrees C, 3; rectum, >9 cm insertion: -0.51 +/- 0.19 degrees C, 6. CONCLUSIONS: Despite obviously different distances to the vagina of the uterine and the low rectal probes (<9 cm) the temperature decrease occurred at the same time. Cold transfer from vagina to the uterus and rectum is probably not the result of simple diffusion but of a vascular counter-current transfer. Differential cooling of corpus and tubal angles suggests a different arterial supply; while uterine corpus is supplied from the uterine artery, the tubal angles seem to be mainly supplied from the ovarian artery via the tubal arcade.

Arteries↗
PubMed2000

Lactobacillus flora in the cloaca and vagina of hens and its inhibitory activity against Salmonella enteritidis in vitro.

Lactobacilli in the cloaca and vagina of 40 normal laying hens were investigated quantitatively and qualitatively, and their ability to inhibit growth of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) was examined using a spot-the-lawn technique. All samples of cloacal contents and half the samples of vaginal mucus were positive for lactobacilli. The means +/- SD of total Lactobacillus counts in the cloaca and those in the vagina were log10 5.5 +/- 1.1 and 2.5 +/- 2.6 cfu/g, respectively. In the cloaca, Lactobacillus acidophilus was isolated from 92.5% of hens, and Lactobacillus salivarius was isolated from 85.0% of hens, whereas Lactobacillus fermentum was isolated from only one hen. In the vagina, L. acidophilus and L. salivarius were isolated from 42.5% of hens. In the inhibition assay in vitro, all strains of Lactobacillus from cloacal contents and vaginal mucus inhibited growth of SE. There was a wide range of the inhibitory activity even in the same species. No difference of the growth inhibition zone was observed between lactobacilli from cloaca and those from vagina. The present study suggested that lactobacilli in the cloaca and vagina of hens might have a protective effect against SE colonization.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Langerhans cells and T lymphocyte subsets in the murine vagina and cervix.

Immunization in the vagina can lead to the production of specific antibodies in the luminal fluid of this organ. To help understand the immune mechanisms involved in this process, we have studied the occurrence of Langerhans cells (LCs), macrophages, natural killer cells, and T and B lymphocytes in the murine vagina and cervix during the estrous cycle. LCs in the epithelia expressed Ia, F4/80, NLDC-145, and CD45, but not Mac-1, Moma-1, and Moma-2; double-labeling demonstrated phenotypic heterogeneity in this population Ia+, NLDC-145+; Ia+, NLDC-145-; Ia+, F4/80+; Ia+, F4/80-; Ia- F4/80+. T lymphocytes of both helper and cytotoxic/suppressor types were also present in the epithelia, sometimes in close association with LCs, but natural killer cells were not observed. The stroma of the vagina and cervix contained LCs (or interdigitating cells) and macrophages but few T lymphocytes and no B lymphocytes, natural killer cells, or lymphoid nodules. These observations confirm and extend previous reports that the murine vagina and cervix contain epithelial LCs and T lymphocytes and support the suggestion that antigens in the vagina and cervix, as in the epidermis, may be recognized and presented to the immune system by epithelial LCs. However, the paucity of T cells and the absence of B cells and lymphoid nodules from the stroma suggest that antigen presentation may not occur locally but at another site such as in the draining lymph nodes.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Polymeric immunoglobulin A receptor in the rodent female reproductive tract: influence of estradiol in the vagina and differential expression of messenger ribonucleic acid during estrous cycle.

Previously we have shown that estradiol and progesterone regulate the levels of secretory component, the external domain of polymeric immunoglobin A (IgA) receptor responsible for transporting IgA from tissues into secretions, at both the mRNA and protein levels in the rodent uterus. In the present study, experiments were designed to determine whether polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) is synthesized locally in the vagina and whether it is under the control of estradiol and progesterone. Polymeric IgR message corresponding in size to that previously reported in the liver and uterus was detected by Northern blot analysis of total RNA from the vagina. Levels of pIgR mRNA and pIgR in the vagina were found to vary with the stage of the cycle. Polymeric IgR mRNA levels were elevated at diestrus, reduced at estrus, and undetectable at proestrus. Immunohistochemical analysis of pIgR in the vagina indicated that the expression of protein correlated with the mRNA levels. When ovariectomized rats were treated with estradiol, progesterone, or a combination of the two for 3 days, pIgR mRNA levels were significantly reduced in estradiol-treated animals relative to saline-treated controls. No significant changes were observed in the pIgR mRNA levels of animals treated with progesterone alone or with a combination of estradiol and progesterone. Polymeric IgR expression analyzed by immunohistochemical staining correlated well with variations in mRNA levels seen following hormone treatment. In situ hybridization localized pIgR in uterine and vaginal epithelial cells. In the uterus, pIgR message was abundant in luminal and glandular epithelial cells at estrus and low at diestrus. In contrast, expression of pIgR mRNA was pronounced in vaginal epithelial cells at diestrus, while very little message could be localized in the epithelium at estrus. These findings demonstrate that pIgR is synthesized locally in the uterus and vagina and is under tissue-specific hormone regulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Coordinate regulation by diethylstilbestrol of the platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) and -B chains and the PDGF receptor alpha- and beta-subunits in the mouse uterus and vagina: potential mediators of estrogen action.

The effects of estrogen on the reproductive tract involve cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation, which need to be well coordinated. Polypeptide growth factors are believed to play a vital role in a number of these cellular processes. Among the growth factors now documented to be associated with estrogen action are epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta 1), TGF beta 2, TGF beta 3, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) are also potent mitogens, which consist of two peptide chains, denoted A and B, that dimerize to isoforms (PDGF-AA, -AB, and -BB) which differ in their functional properties, secretory behavior, receptor binding, and physiological effects. To study the role of the PDGF-A and -B chains and the PDGF receptor subunits, alpha and beta, during estrogen action in the mouse reproductive tract, time-dependent changes in the expression of these genes were examined by Northern and in situ RNA analyses and by immunohistochemistry after a single treatment of immature CD-1 (17- to 19-day-old) mice with the synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES). Our results demonstrate estrogen modulation of the expression of messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein for the PDGF ligands and receptors in both the uterus and vagina of the mouse. Northern and in situ RNA analyses demonstrate time-dependent estrogen induction of the mRNA levels for these genes in both tissues within 3 h after treatment. However, distinctive mRNA expression profiles for the PDGF ligand and receptor genes are exhibited by the uterus and vagina in response to DES, especially in that the induction of transcripts for PDGF-A and both receptor subunits is more transient in the vagina than in the uterus. Steroid specificity studies demonstrate predominant estrogen-specific regulation of mRNA induction for these genes. Analysis of cell-specific RNA expression by in situ hybridization reveals prominent induction of transcripts for the PDGF chains and receptor subunits in the uterine and vaginal epithelium after estrogen treatment, although enhanced expression of mRNA is also noted in the stroma, particularly for the PDGF receptor subunit genes. Cellular localization of the PDGF ligand and receptor protein molecules by immunohistochemistry detected significant immunostaining for all of these proteins in both the uterus and vagina of control animals. After DES treatment, the uterus exhibits a significant decrease in the level of PDGF ligand and receptor proteins immunostained within 6 h, whereas less dramatic effects ar observed in the vagina.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Monoclonal antibodies specific for rat relaxin. IX. Evidence that endogenous relaxin promotes growth of the vagina during the second half of pregnancy in rats.

It is established that endogenous relaxin promotes the growth and development of the cervix, mammary glands, and nipples in pregnant rats. Additionally, the observation that porcine relaxin promotes growth of the vagina in both nonpregnant and pregnant rats provides indirect evidence that endogenous relaxin may effect growth of the vagina during rat pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether endogenous relaxin promotes growth of the vagina in pregnant rats. To that end, a monoclonal antibody, specific for rat relaxin, designated MCA1, was used to passively neutralize endogenous relaxin throughout the second half of pregnancy in intact rats. Five milligrams of highly purified MCA1 were injected iv to rats daily from days 12-22 of pregnancy. Controls received either a monoclonal antibody for fluorescein or PBS. The vaginal wet weight, dry weight, length, diameter, inner surface area, DNA content, and percent water content were determined. No differences were found between monoclonal antibody for fluorescein and PBS controls for any of the measured vaginal parameters. In contrast, values for all physical parameters, except percent water content, were significantly lower in MCA1-treated rats than in controls. Vaginal DNA content was also lower in MCA1-treated rats than in controls; and this observation supports the view that relaxin induces vaginal growth at least in part by promoting cell proliferation. To examine the mechanism of relaxin's apparent action on the vagina, specific relaxin-binding sites were localized immunohistochemically. Relaxin-binding sites were found in epithelial and smooth muscle cells, and the binding was specific for relaxin. We conclude that endogenous relaxin promotes growth of the vagina in pregnant rats.

Animals↗