A mouse model of endometriosis that displays vaginal, colon, cutaneous, and bladder sensory comorbidities

Joel Castro, Maddern J, Jessica Maddern, Luke Grundy, Manavis J, Jim Manavis, Andrea M. Harrington, Gudrun Schober, Schober G, Stuart M. Brierley
FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2021 · vol. 35(4) , pp. e21430 · doi:10.1096/fj.202002441r · PMID:33749885 · W3139198046
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 16 in-corpus citations
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This study developed a mouse model of endometriosis that recapitulates lesion development, neuroangiogenesis, inflammatory environment, and sensory comorbidities affecting vaginal, colon, bladder, and cutaneous stimulation.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a painful inflammatory disorder affecting ~10% of women of reproductive age. Although chronic pelvic pain (CPP) remains the main symptom of endometriosis patients, adequate treatments for CPP are lacking. Animal models that recapitulate the features and symptoms experienced by women with endometriosis are essential for investigating the etiology of endometriosis, as well as developing new treatments. In this study, we used an autologous mouse model of endometriosis to examine a combination of disease features and symptoms including: a 10 week time course of endometriotic lesion development; the chronic inflammatory environment and development of neuroangiogenesis within lesions; sensory hypersensitivity and altered pain responses to vaginal, colon, bladder, and skin stimulation in conscious animals; and spontaneous animal behavior. We found significant increases in lesion size from week 6 posttransplant. Lesions displayed endometrial glands, stroma, and underwent neuroangiogenesis. Additionally, peritoneal fluid of mice with endometriosis contained known inflammatory mediators and angiogenic factors. Compared to Sham, mice with endometriosis displayed: enhanced sensitivity to pain evoked by (i) vaginal and (ii) colorectal distension, (iii) altered bladder function and increased sensitivity to cutaneous (iv) thermal and (v) mechanical stimuli. The development of endometriosis had no effect on spontaneous behavior. This study describes a comprehensive characterization of a mouse model of endometriosis, recapitulating the clinical features and symptoms experienced by women with endometriosis. Moreover, it delivers the groundwork to investigate the etiology of endometriosis and provides a platform for the development of therapeutical interventions to manage endometriosis-associated CPP.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_pain

MeSH descriptors

Colonic Diseases Endometriosis Skin Diseases Urinary Bladder Diseases Vaginal Diseases Animals Biomarkers Biomarkers Biomarkers Colonic Diseases Endometriosis Female Inflammation Inflammation Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Motor Activity Pain Skin Diseases Urinary Bladder Diseases

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References (100)

Cited by (16)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK