[The expression of Caspase-3 in granulosa cells of endometriosis treated with mifepristone].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of mifepristone on the expression of Caspase-3 in the granulosa cells. METHODS: Forty Sprague-Dawley (SD) female rats with (230 +/- 20) g weight were divided into four groups, low-dose group with 1.04 mg/(kg x d) of mifepristone, middle-dose group with 2.604 mg/(kg x d) of mifepristone, high dose group with 10.4 mg/(kg x d) of mifepristone, as well as blank group. Mifepristone tablets were given through gastromy in diestrus of rat for four weeks. Rats were sacrificed after the treatment, and the the expression of Caspase-3 in the granulosa cells of developing follicles was detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The Caspase-3 protein expression was observed in granulosa cells of developing follicles, while the positive expression level and integrated optical density (IOD) value were increased along with the dosage of mifepristone increasing. The difference among the three dosage groups were significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Regulating Caspase-3 protein expression may be one of the ways for mifepristone inducing granulosa cell apoptosis.