A comparison of diethylstilbestrol- and estradiol-17 beta-induced vitellogenesis in quail.

Japanese quail were injected intramuscularly with .125 to 32 mumole/100 g body weight of estradiol-17 beta (E2) or diethylstilbestrol (DES). During the following 8 days, vitellogenesis was assessed in these birds by measuring plasma concentrations of protein-bound phosphorus (PBP; vitellogenin is a phosphoprotein), calcium, and total protein. Blood packed cell volumes were recorded also. Plasma PBP concentrations of E2-injected male and female quail increased to .83 and .96 mg/ml from control values of .004 and .12 mg/ml, respectively. Doses of 8 to 32 (males) or 4 to 32 (females) mumole E2/100 g body weight induced similar initial rates of vitellogenesis, but the duration of vitellogenesis increased with increasing doses of hormone. In male quail, low doses of DES (.5 to 4.0 mumole/100 g body weight) were more effective than equal doses of E2 in inducing increases in plasma PBP levels. However, the maximum PBP concentrations attained with high doses of DES were less than those attained with equal doses of E2 (.53 and .83 mg/ml, respectively).