TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of 2,3-<em>Bis</em>(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile on Induction of Polyovular Follicles in the Mouse Ovary JF - In Vivo JO - In Vivo SP - 19 LP - 24 VL - 32 IS - 1 AU - TOMOMI SATO AU - HANNAH KIM AU - HANAKO KAKUTA AU - TAISEN IGUCHI Y1 - 2018/01/01 UR - http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/32/1/19.abstract N2 - Background/Aim: Neonatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment induces polyovular follicles (PFs), which contain more than two oocytes in a follicle, through estrogen receptor (ER) β, not ERα. 2,3-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionitrile (DPN) is a specific ERβ agonist; the effects of neonatal DPN exposure on PF induction and gene expression in the mouse ovary were examined. Materials and Methods: Histological analysis and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed. Results: The PF incidence was significantly high in the ovary of neonatally DPN-exposed mice compared to that in oil-exposed mice. The gene expression of growth differentiation factor 9 (Gdf9), Mullerian-inhibiting substance, steroidogenic factor 1 (Sf1) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (Star) in the ovary was significantly increased in the mice neonatally exposed to 40 μg DPN compared to oil-treated mice. Conclusion: Since SF1 is an important transcription factor of several genes involved in ovarian function, up-regulation of Sf1 expression by neonatal exposure to DPN, through ERβ, might affect expression of Gdf9, Mis and Star, resulting in increased PFs in mouse ovary. ER -