Ovarian influence on mitogen responsiveness of lymphocytes from mice neonatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol

Abstract

Treatment of neonatal female mice with diethylstilbestrol (DES) resulted in a reduced response of spleen lymphocytes to concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Ovariectomy or ovariectomy plus estradiol treatment had no influence on the response to Con A in either control or DES‐treated females. Ovariectomy reduced the response to LPS in control animals and eliminated the difference between control and DES‐treated females. Estradiol treatment enhanced the response of ovariectomized control females to LPS and restored the difference between control and DES‐treated animals. Comparison of the mitogen responsiveness during various stages of the estrous cycle showed a tendency for the response to be augmented at proestrus and metestrus, although the differences were not significant.