Doxycycline causes regression of endometriotic implants: a rat model

P. Akkaya, Pinar Akkaya, Göğşen Önalan, Gogsen Onalan, Nihan Haberal, Nilufer Bayraktar, Nilüfer Bayraktar, Baris Mülayim, Barış Mülayim, Hulusi B Zeyneloglu, Hulusi Bülent Zeyneloğlu
Human Reproduction · 2009 · vol. 24(8) , pp. 1900–1908 · doi:10.1093/humrep/dep106 · PMID:19401321 · W2154893338
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Doxycycline treatment significantly reduced endometriotic implant size and MMP expression in a rat model, with low-dose Dox also decreasing IL-6 levels.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Doxycycline (Dox) has a number of non-antibiotic properties. One of them is the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of Dox in a rat endometriosis model. METHODS: Endometriosis was surgically induced in 40 rats by transplanting of endometrial tissue. After 3 weeks, repeat laparotomies were performed to check the implants and the animals were randomized into four groups: Group I, low-dose Dox (5 mg/kg/day); Group II, high-dose Dox (40 mg/kg/day); Group III, leuprolide acetate 1 mg/kg single dose, s.c.; and Group VI (controls), no medication. The treatment, initiated on the day of surgery and continuing for 3 weeks, was administered to the study groups. Three weeks later, the rats were euthanized and the implants were evaluated morphologically and histologically for immunoreactivity of MMP-2 and -9, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration in the peritoneal fluid was assayed. RESULTS: Treatment with leuprolide acetate, or high-dose or low-dose Dox caused significant decreases in the implant areas compared with the controls (P = 0.03, P = 0.006, and P = 0.001, respectively). IL-6 levels in peritoneal fluid decreased in Group I (P = 0.02) and Group III (P < 0.05). MMP H scores were significantly lower in the group that received low-dose Dox in both epithelial and stromal MMP-2 and -9 immunostaining when compared with the control group [P = 0.048, P = 0.002, P = 0.007 and P = 0.002, respectively, MMP-2 (epithelia), MMP-2 (stroma), MMP-9 (epithelia) and MMP-9 (stroma)]. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose Dox caused regression of endometriosis in this experimental rat model.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Doxycycline Endometriosis Animals Doxycycline Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Female Immunohistochemistry Interleukin-6 Interleukin-6 Leuprolide Leuprolide Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Rats Rats, Wistar

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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