Evaluating Vaginal Moisture in Mice with Calibrated Filter Paper

Overview

Journal Res Sq

Date 2025 Feb 20

PMID 39975903

Authors

Mohan Liu

Joseph G Charek

Rose Kurian

Rodolfo D Vicetti Miguel

Thomas L Cherpes

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Loss of ovarian estrogen (E) production in postmenopausal women causes vaginal dryness and irritation. The contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) likewise promotes vaginal dryness by suppressing ovulation and reducing E production. While vaginal dryness in women is identified by self-report, mouse models of estrogen loss require methods are developed to objectively measure vaginal moisture.

Methods: Strips of calibrated filter paper, similar to those used to quantify lachrymal secretions, were intravaginally placed in untreated ovary-intact mice, DMPA-treated ovary-intact mice, and ovariectomized (OVX) mice to measure vaginal fluid levels.

Results: Median readings from calibrated filter paper strips from DMPA-treated and OVX mice were significantly lower than the median reading from estrus-stage mice. Levels of circulating estradiol were also significantly lower in DMPA-treated and OVX mice vs. estrus-stage mice.

Conclusions: Calibrated filter paper provides objective measure of vaginal moisture in mice. Current findings also indicate that hypoestrogenemic mice (DMPA-treated or OVX) accurately model the vaginal moisture losses identified in women with lower levels of circulating E.

References

. Management of symptomatic vulvovaginal atrophy: 2013 position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2013; 20(9):888-902. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0b013e3182a122c2. View

Hess R, Austin R, Dillon S, Ho Chang C, Ness R . Vaginal maturation index self-sample collection in mid-life women: acceptability and correlation with physician-collected samples. Menopause. 2008; 15(4 Pt 1):726-9. DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31816c5541. View

Shifren J . Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2018; 61(3):508-516. DOI: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000380. View

Gandhi J, Chen A, Dagur G, Suh Y, Smith N, Cali B . Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: an overview of clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, etiology, evaluation, and management. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2016; 215(6):704-711. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2016.07.045. View

Quispe Calla N, Miguel R, Aceves K, Huang H, Howitt B, Cherpes T . Ovariectomized mice and postmenopausal women exhibit analogous loss of genital epithelial integrity. Tissue Barriers. 2021; 9(2):1865760. PMC: 8078771. DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2020.1865760. View

Hill K . The demography of menopause. Maturitas. 1996; 23(2):113-27. DOI: 10.1016/0378-5122(95)00968-x. View

. The 2020 genitourinary syndrome of menopause position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2020; 27(9):976-992. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001609. View

Mili N, Paschou S, Armeni A, Georgopoulos N, Goulis D, Lambrinoudaki I . Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: a systematic review on prevalence and treatment. Menopause. 2021; 28(6):706-716. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001752. View

Brinton R . Minireview: translational animal models of human menopause: challenges and emerging opportunities. Endocrinology. 2012; 153(8):3571-8. PMC: 3404353. DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-1340. View

10.

Perino A, Calligaro A, Forlani F, Tiberio C, Cucinella G, Svelato A . Vulvo-vaginal atrophy: a new treatment modality using thermo-ablative fractional CO2 laser. Maturitas. 2015; 80(3):296-301. DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.12.006. View

11.

Perez-Lopez F, Vieira-Baptista P, Phillips N, Cohen-Sacher B, Fialho S, Stockdale C . Clinical manifestations and evaluation of postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2021; 37(8):740-745. DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2021.1931100. View

12.

Quispe Calla N, Miguel R, Aceves K, Torres A, Cherpes T . Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate reduces genital cell-cell adhesion molecule expression and increases genital herpes simplex virus type 2 infection susceptibility in a dose-dependent fashion. Contraception. 2019; 100(5):397-401. PMC: 6875619. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2019.07.003. View

13.

Stachowicz A, Hoover M, Karram M . Clinical utility of radiofrequency energy for female genitourinary dysfunction: past, present, and future. Int Urogynecol J. 2021; 32(6):1345-1350. DOI: 10.1007/s00192-021-04735-9. View

14.

Perkins N . Vaginal atrophy and genital pain in women on depot medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2023; 64(2):160-164. DOI: 10.1111/ajo.13757. View

15.

Quispe Calla N, Vicetti Miguel R, Boyaka P, Hall-Stoodley L, Kaur B, Trout W . Medroxyprogesterone acetate and levonorgestrel increase genital mucosal permeability and enhance susceptibility to genital herpes simplex virus type 2 infection. Mucosal Immunol. 2016; 9(6):1571-1583. PMC: 5035233. DOI: 10.1038/mi.2016.22. View

16.

Labrie F, Archer D, Koltun W, Vachon A, Young D, Frenette L . Efficacy of intravaginal dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on moderate to severe dyspareunia and vaginal dryness, symptoms of vulvovaginal atrophy, and of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Menopause. 2018; 25(11):1339-1353. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001238. View

17.

Chari T, Griswold S, Andrews N, Fagiolini M . The Stage of the Estrus Cycle Is Critical for Interpretation of Female Mouse Social Interaction Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci. 2020; 14:113. PMC: 7340104. DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00113. View

18.

McLean A, Valenzuela N, Fai S, Bennett S . Performing vaginal lavage, crystal violet staining, and vaginal cytological evaluation for mouse estrous cycle staging identification. J Vis Exp. 2012; (67):e4389. PMC: 3490233. DOI: 10.3791/4389. View

19.

Portman D, Gass M . Genitourinary syndrome of menopause: new terminology for vulvovaginal atrophy from the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health and the North American Menopause Society. Maturitas. 2014; 79(3):349-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.07.013. View

20.

Pinkerton J . Hormone Therapy for Postmenopausal Women. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(5):446-455. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMcp1714787. View