Molecular analysis of the vaginal response to estrogens in the ovariectomized rat and postmenopausal woman.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Vaginal atrophy (VA) is the thinning of the vaginal epithelial lining, typically the result of lowered estrogen levels during menopause. Some of the consequences of VA include increased susceptibility to bacterial infection, pain during sexual intercourse, and vaginal burning or itching. Although estrogen treatment is highly effective, alternative therapies are also desired for women who are not candidates for post-menopausal hormone therapy (HT). The ovariectomized (OVX) rat is widely accepted as an appropriate animal model for many estrogen-dependent responses in humans; however, since reproductive biology can vary significantly between mammalian systems, this study examined how well the OVX rat recapitulates human biology.

Methods

We analyzed 19 vaginal biopsie

SUBMITTER: Jelinsky SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2453134 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature