Maternal body estrogen exposure influences the mice offspring ovaries’ morphology

Background. The question of the effect of female sex hormones and their analogues on humans and experimental animals is of great interest in medicine.

Aim. The aim of the work was to study the morphological features of the ovaries of the offspring of laboratory mice during the administration of estrogens to the maternal body.

Materials and methods. Female laboratory mice after fertilization were divided into groups: two control and two experimental, which at the stage of development of gestation E11.5 underwent intramuscular, single administration of experimental doses of estrogens. The first experimental group was injected with the synthetic drug synestrol in the form of a 2% oil solution at a total dose of 50 mcg / kg (n = 5; S-50), the first control group was injected with olive oil at a dose of 0.2 μm/kg (n = 5). The second experimental group was injected with a 0.4 ml 0.0005% fulvestrant oil solution at a dose of 100 mcg/kg (n = 5; F-100), the second control group (n = 5) received sterile castor oil at a dose of 0.8 μm/kg.

Results. Persistent morphological changes are observed in the ovaries of the offspring of the first experimental group S-50: an increase in the average area of the cortical substance, a decrease in the area of the medulla, an increase in the average number of yellow bodies, an increase in the average number of luteal cells in the yellow body, a decrease in the total number of follicles and atretic bodies, indicating a violation of the folliculogenesis process, an increase in the average diameter of blood vessels demonstrating increased blood circulation. With the introduction of the drug fulvestrant 100 mcg / kg in the second experimental group F-100, morphological changes in the form of an increase in the average area of the cortical substance, a decrease in the average area of the medulla, sclerosis of the stromal component, accompanied by a restructuring of the vascular network with signs of atresia and cystic degeneration of the follicular epithelium in secondary and tertiary follicles are considered on a slice of the ovaries of the offspring.

Conclusions. The obtained results of the study confirm the urgency of the problem of implementing complex measures aimed at limiting the effects of estrogenetic drugs introduced into the maternal body during pregnancy, in order to prevent adverse effects on the development of the ovaries of offspring.