Vaginal abnormalities in ovariectomized BALB/cCrgl mice after neonatal exposure to different doses of diethylstilbestrol.

Newborn BALB/cCrgl female mice received five daily injections of various doses of diethylstilbestrol (DES), 0.0001-10 micrograms. Mice were killed at 6 days of age or at 4 months after ovariectomy at 40-42 days. Subepithelial nodules of polygonal cells in the upper (Mullerian) vagina during early postnatal life were associated with the later occurrence of ovary-independent persistent stratification with or without cornification in mice treated neonatally with 0.1-10 micrograms DES and thus are a possible predictor of this phenomenon. The thresholds for the induction of ovary-independent epithelial pegs, downgrowths and adenosis (glandular formations) were 0.1 microgram and 0.5 microgram DES/day, respectively.