Effects of d-propranolol and estradiol on the cervicovaginal epithelium

Summary The cervicovaginal epithelium of neonatal mice produces a material with specific antigenic properties (CVA) and this material is produced in increased amounts after estradiol treatment. Using a cytochemical method, estradiol treatment was shown to result in an increase of adenylate cyclase activity in the same epithelium.When d-propranolol is injected together with estradiol, the increase in CVA is inhibited, while the hormone-induced proliferation of epithelial cells is not influenced. When adenylate cyclase activity is studied under identical conditions, the estradiol-promoted increase in enzyme activity is largely counteracted by d-propranolol. These findings would suggest that Adenosine 35-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) has a role in some, but not all, estradiol-mediated effects in the neonatal cervicovaginal epithelium.This work was supported by grants from the Norwegian Research Council for Science and the Humanities and from the Norwegian Cancer Society (Landsforeningen mot Kreft)