Mitotic activity in the epithelium of reproductive organs of pregnant mice

Summary The authors determined the mitotic activity of the epithelium of the mammary glands, vagina, uterus and the uterine glands at various periods of, pregnancy in female albino mice. As shown, mitotic activity of the mammary glands epithelium exhibited a marked rise during the first half of pregnancy and declined smoothly during the second half. Mitotic activity of the epithelium of the vagina, uterus and the uterine glands decreased. Reduction of mitosis is mostly marked in epithelium of the uterine glands, less in the uterine, epithelium and even less in the vaginal epithelium. A different level of mitotic activity in the epithelium of reproductive organs during pregnancy is explained by different sensitivity of the epithelium these organs to mitosis-stimulating and depressing action of female sex hormones.(Presented by N. A. Kraevskii Active Member of AMN SSSR) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 57, No. 4, pp. 112–115, April, 1964