Comparative effects of estradiol, raloxifene, and genistein on the uterus of ovariectomized mice.

To explore the uterine effects of administration of compounds that exert their bone-sparing functions through estrogen receptors, we administered 17beta-E2, raloxifene, or genistein to ovariectomized mice and analyzed the uterus weight and histology 4 weeks after beginning the treatments. Results indicated that raloxifene and genistein have partial agonistic properties on the uterus in estrogen-depleted mice, and that genistein induced apoptosis and several atypias in the glandular epithelium of endometrium, as demonstrated in hematoxylin-eosin-stained histological sections.