RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Diethylstilbestrol Alters the Expression of Activins in the Neonatal Mouse Ovary In Vitro JF In Vivo JO In Vivo FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 1095 OP 1102 DO 10.21873/invivo.11578 VO 33 IS 4 A1 SACHIYO OIKAWA A1 SACHIYO KOBAYASHI A1 SHINICHI MIYAGAWA A1 TAISEN IGUCHI A1 TOMOMI SATO YR 2019 UL http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/33/4/1095.abstract AB Background/Aim: Perinatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment induces the polyovular follicle containing two or more oocytes in a follicle of mouse ovary through estrogen receptor (ER) β. The aim of the study was to investigate the direct effects of DES on the neonatal mouse ovary and the gene expression of activins. Materials and Methods: Ovaries from neonatal wild-type (WT) or ERβ- knockout (ERβKO) mice were organ-cultured in a serum-free medium with or without DES, and polyovular follicle induction and expression of activin signaling related genes were examined. Results: The polyovular follicle and cyst incidence in DES-treated organ-cultured ovaries from WT mice, but not from ERβKO mice, was significantly higher than that of control non-treated cultures. DES altered inhibin (Inh) a, Inhba and Inhbb expression in organ-cultured ovaries from C57BL/6J mice, while no change in Inha and an increase of Inhbb were observed by DES, in both WT and ERβKO mice. Conclusion: Alterations in activin signaling are involved in the polyovular follicle induction by DES.