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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on July 24, 2008
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/den189
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Intraperitoneal inflammation decreases endometriosis in a mouse model

N.M. Nowak1,3,4, O.M. Fischer1, T.C. Gust2, U. Fuhrmann1, U.-F. Habenicht1 and A. Schmidt1,4

1 GDD-TRG Women’s Healthcare, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Muellerstrasse 178, 13342 Berlin, Germany 2 Common Mechanism Research, Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Muellerstrasse 178, 13342 Berlin, Germany 3 Institute of Human Biology and Anthropology, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 6, Free University of Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany

4 Correspondence address. Tel: +49-30-46814766; E-mail: nicola.nowak{at}bayerhealthcare.com (N.M.N.); Tel: +1-973-3055303; E-mail: anja.schmidt{at}bayer.com (A.S.)

BACKGROUND: The role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of endometriosis remains elusive. It has been shown that patients have an altered peritoneal environment with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, activated macrophages and reduced clearance of retrogradely transported endometrial fragments. However, it is not known if this unique inflammatory situation is cause or consequence of endometriosis. This study investigates the impact of a pre-existing peritoneal inflammation on endometriosis establishment in a mouse model.

METHODS: Endometriosis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-expressing endometrium in mice. In parallel, a peritonitis model was established via intraperitoneal injection of thioglycolate medium (TM). Finally, endometriosis was induced in the inflamed peritoneal cavity and lesion establishment as well as morphological and histological characteristics were analysed.

RESULTS: Induction of endometriosis in an inflamed peritoneal cavity resulted in fewer lesions and significantly lower sum of lesion surface area per mouse in the TM-treated group. Additionally, a higher amount of non-attached debris could be detected in the peritoneal cavity of TM-treated mice.

CONCLUSIONS: An intraperitoneal inflammation decreases endometriosis establishment in this mouse model. Thus, a pre-existing peritoneal inflammation might not be a factor favouring the development of endometriosis.

Key words: EGFP/endometriosis/immune system/inflammation/mouse model

Submitted on November 30, 2007; resubmitted on January 30, 2008; accepted on April 22, 2008.


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