Morphological studies of polycystic mouse ovaries induced by dehydroepiandrosterone.

Morphological alterations induced by dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) were studied in polycystic mouse ovaries (PCO). Treated mice showed ovulatory failure and cystic changes; cysts and follicles in various stages of growth and atresia were present although corpora lutea were absent. The levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 3 alpha- and 3 beta-androstanediol, estrone and androstenedione increased, whereas estradiol was not detectable. The ultrastructure of granulosa cells in healthy and atretic follicles was similar to that of control animals, although the membrana granulosa in cysts was reduced to a monolayer of flattened cells. The theca interna of healthy and atretic follicles and ovarian cysts showed ultrastructural signs of abnormal steroidogenic stimulation. No significant differences (0.7 less than P less than 0.8) were found between the extensive surface area of gap junctions of healthy follicles of control and DHA-treated animals. On the P-face of granulosa cells of large healthy follicles, meandering strands of tight junctional particles were observed; their average length was significantly longer than those in healthy follicles of control animals (P less than 0.001). This increase was probably related to the large amounts of androgens present in the treated animals. Theca interna cells possessed small gap junctions; no significant differences (P greater than 0.9) in gap-junction surface area were observed between DHA-treated and control animals. These results suggest that the size of gap junctions is probably unrelated to the steroidogenic activities of theca cells.