Altered patterns of proteins released in vitro from oviductal and uterine tissue from adult female mice treated neonatally with diethylstilbestrol.

Proteins released during incubation in vitro of oviductal and uterine tissues from 8-week-old female NMRI mice treated neonatally with diethylstilbestrol (DES) or vehicle were studied. The objective was to study if neonatal DES treatment altered the patterns of proteins released from the oviduct and uterus, as earlier studies had shown a detrimental effect of the oviductal environment in DES exposed females on early embryo development. In separate experiments nonlabeled and 35S-labeled proteins released from oviductal/uterine tissues during organ incubations were characterized with 1 and 2D gel electrophoresis. The incubation media of both oviducts and uteri from DES females had increased levels of a serum derived nonlabeled protein, identified as apolipoprotein A1. The amount of this protein in the incubation medium was not influenced by previous ovariectomy but increased by in vivo treatment with estradiol, in both ovariectomized controls and DES treated females. Three other unlabeled proteins were consistently found in higher amounts in the incubation media from DES exposed oviduct/uterine tissue, than in incubates of control tissue. In tissue incubates of oviducts from DES females, three synthesized proteins (35 kDa-pl 6.2, 112 and 143 kDa) were released in lower amounts and two in higher amounts (53 kDa-pl 6.6 and 53 kDa-pl 6.8) than in controls. In uterus from DES treated females one labeled protein was released in increased amounts (80 kDa-pl 6.7) and one in decreased amounts (43 kDa-pl 6.6), when compared with controls. In estrogen induced uterine luminal fluid from 8-week-old DES treated females the levels of four proteins (26, 42, 53 and 97 kDa) were increased and two (24 and 32 kDa) were decreased. These results show permanent alterations in levels of secreted proteins in both the oviduct and uterus of adult but neonatally DES treated females, which could be of importance for their poor reproductive performance.