An in utero exposure to the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol affects the fat pad composition in post-natal mammary glands.

ABSTRACT: In utero exposure to the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been linked to developmental abnormalities and elevated breast cancer risk in adulthood in human and rodent models. Although the impact of DES on the mammary epithelium has been thoroughly investigated, its effect on the other cell types of the mammary gland remains understudied. Here, given that the mammary gland development is strongly associated with its microenvironment, we aimed to investigate how in utero DES exposure alters the mammary gland's stromal and immune function across key developmental stages. To achieve this aim, timed-pregnant rats were gavaged daily with DES or vehicle from gestation days 16 to 21, and female offspring mammary glands were analyzed at pre-puberty (postnatal day 21 [PND21]), puberty

SUBMITTER: Tovar-Parra D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12863209 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature