The purpose of the present report was to study the possible relationship between ovarian functionality and the immune response during cystogenesis induced by
androgenization with
dehydroepiandrosterone (
DHEA). Daily injection of
DHEA (6 mg/kg
body weight) for 20 consecutive days induced
ovarian cysts in BALB/c mice. As markers of ovarian function, serum
estradiol (E) and
progesterone (P) and the ovarian inmunomodulator
prostaglandin E (
PGE) were analyzed. In order to know how the integrity of the tissue was altered after induction of cystogenesis, the oxidative status was also evaluated. Serum E and P levels, and ovarian
PGE concentration, were increased in animals with
cysts compared with healthy controls. The
oxidant status (quantified by
malondialdehyde (MDA) formed after the breakdown of the cellular membrane by
free radical mechanisms) was augmented, meanwhile the
antioxidant (evaluated by the
glutathione (GSH) content) diminished during the induction of cystogenesis. Both immunohistochemical and flow cytometry assays demonstrated that
DHEA treatment increased the number of T lymphocytes infiltrating ovarian tissue. Therefore, while ovarian controls showed equivalent expression of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets, injection of
DHEA yielded a selective ovarian T cell infiltration as demonstrated by enhanced CD8+ and diminished CD4+ T lymphocyte expression. These results show that the development of
cysts involves changes in ovarian function and an imbalance in the
oxidant-
antioxidant equilibrium. We observed also both an increased and selective T lymphocyte infiltration.