The administration of cortisone to female B6A mice during their immune adaptive period causes anovulation and the formation of ovarian cysts.

Abstract

PROBLEM:

Female mice that are injected with estradiol-17beta (E2) and testosterone during the 7-day immune adaptive period are infertile at adulthood. To determine whether the resultant infertility can be caused by steroids other than estrogens/ androgens, this study examined the effect of injecting cortisone, alone, and in combination with E2 and testosterone, on reproductive function.

METHOD OF STUDY:

Neonatal (C57BL/6J x A/J)F1 B6A female mice were injected from 3 to 6 days of age with sesame oil:ethanol (9:1; v:v), alone, or containing 20 microgg cortisone acetate, 20 microg E2, or 20 microg testosterone. Two additional groups were given 20 microg cortisone acetate in combination with 20 microg E2 or 20 microg testosterone. At adulthood the animals were killed, the stage of vaginal estrus determined, the ovaries examined for the presence of corpora lutea and follicular cysts, and circulating levels of progesterone, E2, and testosterone were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA).

RESULTS:

It was found that injections of cortisone seriously compromise reproductive development. For example, 11% of cortisone-injected animals had ovaries that lacked corpora lutea. In addition, 39% of cortisone-injected females had ovaries with follicular cysts. Cortisone-injected females also had low levels of circulating progesterone (18 ng/mL versus 30 ng/mL for the sesame oil-injected females).

CONCLUSION:

It is concluded that the deleterious effect of steroids on reproductive function, when administered during the immune adaptive period, is not restricted to estrogens and androgens. It is proposed that injections of cortisone alter T-lymphocyte subsets, which contributes to anovulation and the production of follicular cysts.

• Authors: John C Chapman, Soohong Min, Saichol Kunaporn, Keith Tung, Saureen Shah, Sandra D Michael
• Journal: American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) (Am J Reprod Immunol) Vol. 48 Issue 3 Pg. 184-9 (Sep 2002) ISSN: 1046-7408 [Print] Denmark
• PMID: 12443030 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Testosterone
• Estradiol
• Cortisone

Topics

• Animals
• Anovulation (chemically induced)
• Cortisone (administration & dosage, adverse effects, analogs & derivatives)
• Estradiol (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Immune System (drug effects, physiology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Ovarian Cysts (chemically induced)
• Reproduction (drug effects, immunology, physiology)
• Testosterone (administration & dosage)