UTERINE ATROPHY IN CHRONIC MURINE TOXOPLASMOSIS DUE TO OVARIAN DYSFUNCTION

Uterine atrophy is a conspicuous finding in Nya:NYLAR female mice chro nically infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Administration of 17B-estradi ol to infected mice induced a vigorous uterotropic response, i.e., an increase in uterine weight, in endometrial hypertrophy and proliferati on, and in the activity of three estrogen-regulated uterine enzymes. T hese findings rule out a parasite-induced refractoriness of the uterus to estrogen and point to ovarian dysfunction (hypogonadism) as the im mediate cause of the uterine atrophy.