OBJECTIVE To determine the antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects of melatonin on endometrial explants, the distribution of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the rat endometriosis model. DESIGN Prospective, placebo-controlled experimental study. SETTING Expe...

STUDY QUESTION What is the role of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) in human endometriotic tissues and a mouse model of endometriosis? SUMMARY ANSWER Four IAP proteins were expressed in endometriotic tissue indicating IAPs may be a key factor in the pathogenesis and progression of endometriosis. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Overexpression of IAPs protects against a number of proapoptotic...

Endometriosis represents a common gynecological condition affecting 5%-15% of childbearing age women and up to 3% 5% of post-menopausal women. This disease is defined by the presence of stromal and/or endometrial glandular epithelium implants in extra-uterine locations possibly compromising several sites. Humans and animals are daily exposed to chemical pollutants that could adversely influence...

Endometriosis is a chronic, painful disease characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an endogenous fatty acid amide, has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. PEA lacks free radical scavenging activity, unlike polydatin (PLD), a natural precursor of resveratrol. The aim of this study was to investigate the e...

Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition, associated with significant morbidity and having a strong social-economic impact. The widely accepted etiopathogenetic factor at the basis of endometriosis is the cyclical arrival of endometrial cells into the abdominal cavity through retrograde flux at menstruation. However, the endometriotic implants need neovascularization in their process o...

STUDY QUESTION How can deep endometriotic stromal cells proliferate and persist in a fibrotic environment? SUMMARY ANSWER The serine/threonine kinase AKT and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways may co-operate to support growth of deep endometriotic lesions by enhancing endometriotic stromal cell proliferation and survival in a fibrotic microenvironment in vitro. WHAT IS ...

BACKGROUND Mechanisms underlying early reproductive loss in the human are beginning to be elucidated. The migratory and invasive capacity of human endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) is increasingly recognized to contribute to the intense tissue remodelling associated with embryo implantation, trophoblast invasion and endometrial regeneration. In this review, we examine the signals and mechanisms ...

Endometriosis is a painful chronic female disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue implants in ectopic (Ec) locations. The pathogenesis is much debated, and type-I interferons (IFNs) could be involved. The expression of genes of the type-I IFN response were profiled by a specific PCR array of RNA obtained from Ec and eutopic (Eu) endometrium collected from nine endometriosis patien...

Gonadotropin releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) are often used to regress endometriosis implants and prevent premature luteinizing hormone surges in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation. In addition to GnRH central action, the expression of GnRH and receptors in the endometrium implies an autocrine/paracrine role for GnRH and an additional site of action for GnRHa. To further examin...

In our previous study, menstrual-like changes in mouse were provoked through the pharmacologic withdrawal of progesterone with mifepristone following induction of decidualization. However, mouse is not a natural menstruation animal, and the menstruation model using external stimuli may not truly reflect the occurrence and development of the human menstrual process. Therefore, we established a m...