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Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 6, 1453-1458, June 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Suppression of natural killer cell activity by splenocyte transplantation in a rat model of endometriosis

Hirotaka Ota1,4, Huang Rong3, Shinichi Igarashi2 and Toshinobu Tanaka1

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita-city, Akita-ken 010-8543 and 2 Koto General Hospital, Hachirogata-machi, Akita-ken 018-1605, Japan

BACKGROUND: One immune characteristic of endometriosis is a decrease in natural killer (NK) cell activity. This study was performed to determine whether an abnormal immune reaction in an endometriosis animal model could be transferred to an animal of the same species. METHODS: An endometriosis model was prepared using 8 week old female rats by grafting a small section of one uterine horn onto the mesentery, followed 4 weeks later by removal of the spleen and remaining uterine horn. Splenocytes, that had been depleted of macrophages were injected via the tail vein, and NK cell activity of splenocytes was determined 4 days later. The uterus was simultaneously investigated immunohistochemically for immune cells. There was a control group (untreated; group 1), a control–splenocyte injection group (group 2), an experimental endometriosis model group (group 3) and an endometriosis model splenocyte injection group (group 4). RESULTS: Splenocyte NK cell activity was decreased in group 3 to 42.0% of that of group 1 and in group 4 to 38.9%. Immunohistologically, the number of NK cells in groups 3 and 4 markedly decreased to 62.0 and 55.1% of group 1 respectively. CONCLUSION: It was demonstrated that abnormal immunity caused by allograft of immune cells could recur in an endometriosis rat model.

Key words: endometriosis/endometriosis model/natural killer cell activity/splenocyte/transplantation

3 Present address: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou No. 2 Municipal People's Hospital, No. 63, Duobao Road, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akita University School of Medicine, Akita-city, Akita-ken 010-8543, Japan. E-mail: otah{at}obgyn.med.akita-u.ac.jp


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