Differential c-jun gene expression with tonically administered steroids in rat ovary and uterus

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the induction of the early regulatory gene c-jun in response to tonic exposure to estradiol and progesterone in rat ovary, uterus, and adrenal tissues. STUDY DESIGN: Pellets containing estradiol-17β, progesterone, and estradiol-17β plus progesterone were placed subcutaneously in immature female Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 24). The ovary, uterus, and the adrenal were evaluated for c-jun expression by Northern analysis at 24 and 48 hours. RESULTS: The c-jun messenger ribonucleic acid expression in the ovary and adrenal gland was inhibited with high, nonphysiologic doses of estradiol in progesterone and was induced with physiologic levels of estradiol. Physiologic levels of progesterone do not appear to influence the expression of c-jun in the ovary or adrenal gland. Uterine c-jun expression to estradiol and progesterone is generally the opposite of that observed in the ovary. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there is both tissue and dose specificity of c-jun gene expression in steroidogenic and steroid-responsive tissues when steroid hormones are tonically administered. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1994;170:1410-5.)