Ovarian atrophy and reproductive tract incompetence are recognized consequences of the progressive expression of the overt, diabetes-obesity syndrome (DOS) in C57BL/KsJ (db/db) mutant mice. The present studies evaluated the progressive changes in ovarian cytoarchitecture, endocrine expression, and reproductive tract cytolipidemic parameters that promote reproductive failure and ovarian involution during the pre-onset, initial, progressive, and chronic expression stages of the DOS. Paired littermate control (normal: +/?) and diabetic (mutant: db/db) C57BL/KsJ females were selected for analysis of ovarian parameters at 2 weeks (pre-onset expression of DOS), 4 weeks (initial DOS expression), 8 weeks (progressive DOS: hyper-glycemic/lipidemic), and 16 weeks (overt/chronic DOS expression) of age. All 4- to 16-week-old (db/db) groups were obese, hyperglycemic, and hyperinsulinemic as compared with age-matched (+/?) controls. Prior to phenotypic expression of the DOS (2 week groups), ovarian interstitial cytolipidemia characterized the perifollicular and cortical regions of db/db tissue samples relative to +/? indices, while comparable body weight, blood glucose, as well as serum insulin and ovarian steroid hormone concentrations characterized both the +/? and db/db groups. Overt DOS expression in the 4-week-old db/db groups was characterized by body obesity, systemic hyperglycemia-hyperinsulinemia, and extensive hypercytolipidemia of ovarian folliculothecal compartments, as well as enhanced tissue lipase activities. By 8 weeks of age, progressive hypercytolipidemia characterized interstitial, thecal, and follicular granulosa cell layers of db/db tissue samples concurrent with suppressed ovarian steroid hormone production, enhanced lipid sequestration, and exacerbation of systemic hyper-glycemia/insulinemia. By 16 weeks of age, the chronic-DOS was characterized by extensive ovarian follicular involution, cortical perivascular hyperlipidemic infiltration, thecal cell atrophy, and follicular granulosa lipid imbibition. These data indicate that db/db mutation-induced ovarian structural and functional involution is a direct reflection of the cellular metabolic shift towards lipogenesis, indicated by the progressive cytoarchitectural transformation into adipocyte-like entities. The cytological indications of cellular metabolic compromise, which precede the phenotypic expression of the DOS indices, suggests that correction of these abnormal shifts in ovarian endocrine and cellular metabolism may restore, delay, or prevent the further compromise of ovarian function by db/db mutation expression.

The present studies detail the cytopathological alterations in uterine epithelial, basal lamina, and stromal endometrial subregions, and associated endocrine parameters that occur during the progressive exacerbation of the diabetes syndrome in this species of mouse. These alterations result in a cellular lipoatrophic condition that compromises uterine tissue integrity and promotes reproductive involution. Uterine tissue samples were obtained from litter-matched control (؉/?) and diabetic (db/db) C57BL/KsJ mice at four designated stages of the progressive expression of the diabetes mutation. In db/db mice between the ages of 4 and 12 weeks, the uterine epithelial cellular architecture exhibited progressive deterioration, characterized by cytoplasmic lipid imbibition (accumulation), organelle disintegration, apical membrane ciliary regression, and peristromal lamina separation from basal membrane surfaces, as compared with control indexes. The cytoplasmic volume occupied by lipid inclusions dominated the epithelial cells in diabetic mice, presenting dense basal pole lipid vacuoles, with perinuclear-intracytoplasmic migration of the inclusions promoting an apical cytoplasmic lipid condensation of increasing volume 8 -12 weeks after mutation expression. These cytoplasmic lipid accumulations occurred under altered metabolic and endocrine conditions characterized by hyperglycemic, hyperinsulinemic, hypertriglyceridemic, and enhanced noradrenergic indexes, which were exacerbated between 4-and 12-week stages. These structural changes were accompanied by enhanced adrenergic counterregulatory metabolic responses as well as elevated lipoprotein and triacylglycerol lipase activities. These data indicate that diabetes-associated uterine involution is characterized by a progressive cellular and peristromal lipoatrophy of epithelial cell cytology and metabolic parameters, promoting stromal separation and ultimate endometrial involution.

The effects of the diabetes (D) mutation on utero-ovarian structure and function were examined in match-paired D and control (C) C57BL/KsJ mice between 2 and 16 weeks of age. Between 4 and 8 weeks of age, the uterine epithelium of D mice exhibited a remarkable increase in the amount of cytoplasmic lipid stores as compared with that of C animals. Associated with progressive hyperglycemia between 8 and 16 weeks of age, uterine atrophy and continued lipid accumulation occurred. Both serum progesterone and estradiol levels were lower in D than C mice between 8 and 16 weeks of age. In addition, the uteri of D mice failed to accumulate as much 3H-estradiol as C uteri at 16 weeks of age. These data demonstrate that changes in uterine structure that are attributable to depressed ovarian activity in diabetics underlie the reproductive failure in these animals. The temporal association between the onset of reproductive tract involution and the expressed hyperglycemic condition suggests a causal association between these events in the genetically diabetic C57BL/KsJ mouse.

The effect of progressive, diabetes-associated adiposity on reproductive tract structure and function was examined in 4- to 16-week-old C57BL/KsJ, control (+/?) and diabetic (db/db) mice. Uterine and ovarian tissues were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy for ultrastructural changes associated with increased intracellular lipid accumulation. In addition, the same tissues were analyzed for changes in activity of tissue lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that hydrolyzes lipoprotein-associated triacylglycerols and supports the cellular uptake and storage of free fatty acids. Between 8 and 16 weeks of age, intracellular lipid deposits increased dramatically in the ovarian granulosa, thecal and stromal cell populations, as well as in the uterine epithelium, of diabetic mice compared to controls. By 16 weeks of age, the lipid deposits essentially occupied the entire cytoplasmic area of both the ovarian and uterine cell types in diabetics. The basal lamina underlying the uterine epithelium was expanded in the diabetics relative to controls, and the hyperglycemic condition induced an observable increase in endometrial intercellular space that was occupied by a hyaline type of ground substance of unknown composition and origin. In association with these structural changes, both ovarian and uterine lipase activities were greatly increased in the db/db mice compared with controls. These data suggest that the structural adiposity and functional decline in reproductive tract condition of the db/db mutants are related to the enhanced cellular lipid deposition observed in this species. These changes in structural and metabolic parameters are related to the reproductive incompetence characteristic of this murine model.

Progressive, diabetes-associated ovarian atrophy was analyzed in C57BL/KsJ diabetic (db/db) and control (+/?) mice between 2 and 16 weeks of age. Tissue changes were histologically and morphometrically analyzed and compared with ovarian functional indices (i.e., serum estradiol and progesterone) and metabolic (i.e., glucose uptake and estradiol sequestration) parameters. No significant differences were found between the ovarian follicular populations of either group at 2 and 4 weeks of age. However, between 4 and 8 weeks, the ovaries of diabetic mice exhibited marked stromal and follicular degeneration and an associated decline in the population of viable follicles as compared with controls. Between 8 and 16 weeks of age the follicular atrophy in the diabetics became more marked, as compared with controls, with the accumulation of intracellular lipid pools accenting the tissue degeneration and adiposity observed in both follicular and stromal compartments. In addition, ovarian function was depressed after 6 weeks of age in diabetic females as compared with controls as indicated by lowered serum estradiol and progesterone levels. Ovarian glucose uptake was enhanced in diabetic females while the ability of the ovary to sequester radiolabeled estradiol declined between 4 and 16 weeks of age as compared with controls. These data indicate that ovarian dysfunction in the (db/db) mutant mouse is associated with follicular atrophy, adiposity, impaired steroidogenesis, and imbalanced glucose utilization. These events occur in temporal association with the onset and progressive exacerbation of the hyperglycemic condition. It is suggested that ovarian involution in these mutants is directly related to an impaired follicular ability to metabolize properly the elevated intracellular glucose concentrations that develop in the (db/db) mice as compared with controls.