Persistent Vaginal Cornification in Goldthioglucose-Treated BALB/c/Ki Mice

A single injection of various concentrations of goldthioglucose (GTG) was administered to adult female BALB/c/Ki mice. The characteristic weight gain following GTG was proportional to the dose. Animals that attained a body weight of 40 g or more by 90 days after GTG demonstrated persistent vaginal cornification. Animals that weighed less than 40 g after 90 days continued to have regular vaginal cycles. However, the persistent vaginal cornification started approximately 15 days after GTG, when the body weights were comparable to those of controls. A quantitative determination was made of the amount of damage present in the ventral medial region of the hypothalamus of the treated animals. Those animals having greater than a “critical” amount of damage in this region of the hypothalamus attained body weights more than 40 g plus persistent vaginal cornification; animals with less hypothalamic damage attained body weights less than 40 g and cycled regularly. Ovaries from animals with persistent vaginal cornifi...