[The chick embryo chorioallantioc membrane as a model for in vivo research on anti-angiogenesis in endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the chick embryo chorioallantioc membrane (CAM) as a model for in vivo research on endometriosis. The model was used to investigate the mechanism of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody for treatment of endometriosis. METHODS: Human endometrial fragments were explanted onto the CAM. Then anti-VEGF antibody was used for the endometriosis-like lesions after transplantation of human endometrial fragments. The CAM models were treated respectively as control groups and experimental groups. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotin-deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and microvessel density (MVD) were used in vivo for analysis of anti-angiogenesis. RESULTS: The apoptosis intensity of anti-VEGF antibody treated groups (6.7 +/- 0.9, 6.9 +/- 0.8) was significantly higher than that of the control groups (5.0 +/- 0.9, 5.4 +/- 1.1; P < 0.05). The proliferation intensity was not different in these groups. Lower MVD was observed in experimental groups [(4.2 +/- 1.1), (4.9 +/- 1.2) vessels] than the control groups [(6.9 +/- 1.6), (9.1 +/- 3.0) vessels; P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS: CAM is an extraembryonic membrane that is commonly used in vivo for the study of angiogenesis and anti-angiogenesis. Anti-VEGF antibody can be used to accelerate apoptosis of the endometrial cells and vascular endothelium cells, but it has no effect on the proliferation of these cells.