ANIMAL-MODEL OF UTERINE ADENOMYOSIS - INDUCTION OF THE LESION IN RATSBY ECTOPIC PITUITARY ISOGRAFTING

Adenomyosis is a benign pathologic disorder of the uterine endometrial tissues whereby endometrial components, such as glands and stroma, in vade the myometrium. TranspIarmtation of a single anterior pituitary g land into the uterine lumen induced adenomyosis in six of eight Wistar rats 12 months after the grafting. Adenomyotic changes were not obser ved in six sham-operated control rats. Electron microscopic observatio ns indicated that cells of the inner layer of the myometrium were redu ced in size and irregularly shaped in the areas bearing adenomyotic ch anges. In pituitary-grafted rats, healthy corpora lutea remained in th e ovaries, whereas control rats had degenerating ovaries. These findin gs are consistent with the results of pituitary-grafted mice reported previously and support our assertion that a hormonal milieu induced by pituitary grafting is favorable for development of uterine adenomyosi s.