IMMUNOMODULATION OF RAT ENDOMETRIOTIC IMPLANT GROWTH AND PROTEIN-PRODUCTION

PROBLEM: The immune system has been implicated in the pathophysiology of endometriosis. To determine if modulation of the immune system infl uences endometriotic implant growth and protein production, the follow ing experiment was conducted. METHOD: Female rats with surgically indu ced endometriosis were treated with either the immunosuppressive agent pentoxifylline (Pent; 5 mg/kg BW; N = 16) or a vehicle (N = 16) for 7 consecutive days, then killed. Twenty-four hours before death, 8 anim als from each group were injected intraperitoneally with the immunosti mulatory agent lipopolysac charide (LPS; 200 mu g/kg BW). At death, en dometriotic implants were measured and protein production assessed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULT: Pentoxifyl line significantly (P < 0.001) reduced endometriotic implant size (2.1 5 +/- 0.65 mm(2) vs. 17.13 +/- 1.98 mm(2)) whereas LPS was without eff ect (18.32 +/- 2.57 mm(2) vs. 17.13 +/- 1.98 mm(2)). Pentoxifylline al so suppressed production of a portion of the proteins that comprise th e implant specific group of proteins, ENDO-2, whereas LPS induced the production of two additional ENDO-2 proteins. CONCLUSION: Immunomodula tory agents can modulate rat endometriotic implant growth and producti on of implant-specific proteins.