Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on the uterine stroma of peripubertal rats.

GISELA S. BRACHO; LAURA KASS,; GABRIELA A. ALTAMIRANO; MÓNICA M. MUÑOZ-DE-TORO,; ENRIQUE H. LUQUE,

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Biociencias.; 2017

In a previous study we have shown an increase of the subepithelial stroma andmyometrium thickness associated with a decrease in cell density in the uterusof hyperandrogenized rats. Here, we investigate aquaporin (AQP) expression,collagen content and cell proliferation of the uterine subepithelial stroma andmyometrium in androgenized peripubertal rats. Wistar rats were injected sc withsesame oil (control group) or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) 6 mg/100 g bodyweight from postnatal day 21 for 20 consecutive days to inducehyperandrogenism. Before sacrifice, the animals received an ip injection ofBromodeoxyuridine (BrdU, 6 mg/100 g body weight). One uterine horn wasfrozen in liquid nitrogen and used to evaluate the mRNA expression of AQP1 to9 by quantitative real-time PCR. The other uterine horn was fixed in 10%buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin for histological studies. Collagencontent was measured as integrated optical density (IOD) using picrosirius redstaining and polarization microscopy. Cell proliferation was evaluated bydetermining BrdU incorporation by immunohistochemistry. The uterus of controlrats expressed AQPs 1-5 and 7-9. In the DHEA group, AQP3 and 8 expressionswere increased while AQP7 expression was decreased, compared to controlsrats. Collagen content was increased in both the subepithelial stroma (control:1392±251 vs DHEA: 4055±341; p