COX isozymes and non-uniform neoangiogenesis: What is their role in endometriosis?

Andrea Caruana, Charles Savona-Ventura, Charles Savona‐Ventura, Savona-Ventura C, Jean Calleja-Agius, Jean Calleja‐Agius, Calleja-Agius J
Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators · 2023 · vol. 167 , pp. 106734 · doi:10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2023.106734 · PMID:37028470 · W4362632727
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-29 ⓘ

This review compares NSAIDs to placebo for endometriosis, finding NSAIDs more effective for pain relief and lesion regression, and postulates distinct roles for COX-1 and COX-2 in lesion development and pain.

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Abstract

This literature review compared the efficacy in of NSAIDs with a placebo in pain relief and disease regression of endometriosis. Despite the poor evidence found, the results showed that NSAIDs were more effective in pain relief with regressive effects on the endometriotic lesions compared to placebo. We postulate herein that COX-2 is chiefly responsible for pain whilst COX-1 is responsible mainly for the establishment of endometriotic lesions. Hence, there must be a temporal difference in the activation of the two isozymes. We differentiated between two pathways in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins by the COX isozymes referred to as 'direct' and indirect', supporting our initial theory. Finally, we postulate that there are two stages of neoangiogenesis in the formation of endometriotic lesions; 'founding' that first establishes blood supply and 'maintenance' that upkeeps it. This is fertile ground for further research in a niche that needs more literature. Its aspects may be diversely explored. The theories we propose offer information for a more targeted treatment of endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis

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.

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Cited by (4)

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