Abstract

The presence of estrogen receptors (ER) and the effects of estrogen therapy in cellular level are well known in the genital and the lower urinary tract. But limited number of studies on this subject was performed in the upper urinary tract. We aimed to demonstrate the presence of ER in the female rat ureter immunohistochemically and the histologic effects of estrogen treatment on ER, epithelium and smooth muscle in the ureters of rats subjected to surgical menopause.

Twenty-eight healthy, 4 month-old female Wistar albino rats were divided randomly into four groups. Bilateral ovariectomy (BOVX) were performed in groups I, II and III whereas sham operation was performed in group IV. 17-beta estrodiol treatment was applied to group II immediately and to group III 6 weeks after operation for 6 weeks totally. At the end of the study period, ureters were respected and examined for the presence of ER immunohistochemically and for the micrometric measurement of the thickness of epithelium and smooth muscle by Masson’s trichrome staining.

There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for the ureteral epithelium and smooth muscle thickness (p= 0.942 and p= 0.393 respectively). Specific estrogen receptor staining in the ureter could not be demonstrated in any group by immunohistochemical examination. There was also no statistical difference in mean thickness of epithelium and smooth muscle when groups were compared with each other (p>0.05).

We conclude that there is no effect of estrogen treatment on ureteral epithelium and smooth muscle histologically, independent of the estrogen status of the groups, due to the lack of specific estrogen receptors in the female rat ureter.