Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on the uterine stroma of peripubertal rats

BRACHO GS, KASS L, ALTAMIRANO GA, MUÑOZ-DE-TORO M, LUQUE EH, BOSQUIAZZO VL

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de BioCiencias; 2017

In a previous study we have shown an increase of the subepithelialstroma and myometrium thickness associated with a decrease incell density in the uterus of hyperandrogenized rats. Here, we investigateaquaporin (AQP) expression, collagen content and cell proliferationof the uterine subepithelial stroma and myometrium in androgenizedperipubertal rats. Wistar rats were injected sc with sesameoil (control group) or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) 6 mg/100 gbody weight from postnatal day 21 for 20 consecutive days to inducehyperandrogenism. Before sacrifice, the animals received anip injection of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 6 mg/100 g body weight).One uterine horn was frozen in liquid nitrogen and used to evaluatethe mRNA expression of AQP1 to 9 by quantitative real-timePCR. The other uterine horn was fixed in 10% buffered formalin andembedded in paraffin for histological studies. Collagen content wasmeasured as integrated optical density (IOD) using picrosirius redstaining and polarization microscopy. Cell proliferation was evaluatedby determining BrdU incorporation by immunohistochemistry.The uterus of control rats expressed AQPs 1-5 and 7-9. In the DHEAgroup, AQP3 and 8 expressions were increased while AQP7 expressionwas decreased, compared to controls rats. Collagen contentwas increased in both the subepithelial stroma (control:1392±251vs DHEA:4055±341; p