Comparison of dienogest effects upon 3,3′–diindolylmethane supplementation in models of endometriosis and clinical cases

Diana M. Morales‐Prieto, Diana M Morales-Prieto, Joerg Herrmann, Herrmann J, Osterwald H, Hermann Osterwald, Kochhar PS, Prithi S. Kochhar, Ekkehard Schleussner, Schleussner E, E Schleußner, Udo R. Markert, Michael Oettel, M. Öettel, Oettel M
Reproductive biology · 2018 · vol. 18(3) , pp. 252–258 · doi:10.1016/j.repbio.2018.07.002 · PMID:30001982 · W2828313993
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 12 in-corpus citations
View on OpenAlex View on PubMed View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-06 ⓘ

This paper investigated the combined effects of dienogest and 3,3′-diindolylmethane in endometriosis models and clinical cases.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Dienogest (DNG) administration is a well-established treatment for endometriosis but bleeding irregularities remain its main disadvantage. Changes in diet, mainly to vegetable consumption, are beneficial in the treatment of estrogen-related pathologies but their use for endometriosis has been poorly studied. In this study, addition of the phytochemical 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) to DNG therapy has been investigated in in vitro and ex vivo models for endometriosis and in a small cohort of women with endometriosis. Endometrial Ishikawa cells were treated with DNG or DIM at dosages from 10-10 M to 10-5 M for up to 72 h. Cell proliferation was measured by assessing BrdU incorporation. Endometrial tissue from women with endometriosis and controls was incubated with DNG or a combination of DNG and DIM. Tissue viability was determined using a modified colorimetric MTS assay. 17β-estradiol secretion was quantified by an electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. Finally, DNG as monotherapy or in combination with DIM was randomly administered to women with endometriosis (n = 8) over 3 months. Bleeding patterns and associated pelvic pain were assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). DNG and DIM significantly reduced cell proliferation in Ishikawa cells. Ex vivo, DIM reduced viability and estradiol secretion specifically in endometriotic but not in normal endometrial tissue. This effect was enhanced by combination with DNG. Endometriosis associated pelvic pain was significantly reduced in patients taking the DNG-DIM combination therapy compared to those taking DNG alone. Bleeding pattern (number and duration of episodes) was significantly improved by addition of DIM to the DNG treatment. In conclusion, addition of DIM enhances effects of DNG ex vivo and may ameliorate bleeding patterns in endometriosis patients.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Cell Proliferation Endometriosis Endometrium Indoles Nandrolone Cell Line Cell Proliferation Drug Therapy, Combination Endometriosis Endometrium Female Humans Indoles Indoles Nandrolone Nandrolone Nandrolone

Citation neighborhood

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.

References (49)

Cited by (13)

Source provenance

europepmc
last seen: 2026-08-02T06:10:09.037253+00:00
openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:19:43.094626+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK