Changes of macrophages and apoptosis in rat endometriosis model and effects of traditional Chinese medicine

Objective: To study the changes of macrophages in endometriosis (EMT) model rats with and without traditional Chinese medicine and the relationship between apoptosis and macrophages. Methods: EMT rat model was established. EMT rats were given traditional Chinese medicine for 3 weeks. The changes of macrophages in the ectopic and eutopic endometrium and the relationship between apoptosis and the number of macrophages were all observed. Results: The number of macrophages in normal rat was significantly lower than that in the EMT model rats and experimental groups. The number of macrophages in the eutopic was lower than in the ectopic. There were no distinct changes between the groups with and without traditional Chinese medicine. The apoptotic indices were (20.08±0.38)% in 0.5 ml experimental group and (20.74±0.52)% in 1.0 ml group. Few apoptotic cells were found in control group. Conclusion: Traditional Chinese medicine promotes apoptosis in the ectopic tissue. The increase of apoptotic index in endometrium of EMT model rats may be due to the increase of macrophage activity.