Effect of methotrexate injected intraperitoneally on ectopic endometrium of mice model of endometriosis

Objective To observe the effect of methotrexate which injected intraperitoneally on ectopic endometrium of mice model of endometriosis and to investigate the possibility of chemotherapy drug methotrexate which used as clinical remedy for some innocence disease to be used as remedy for refractory endometriosis.Methods From June 2005 to May 2006 in the Obstetrical and Gynecological Hospital of Fudan University.Mice models of endometriosis were established by enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP)transgenic and wide-type C57BL/6J mice and two weeks later sodium chloride was injected intraperitoneally into the control group(D group)while methotrexate of 25mg/kg(A group),50mg/kg(B group),75mg/kg(C group)was injected intraperitoneally into the experimental mice,respectively.One week later all model mice were sacrificed and optical density of fluorescence of ectopic endometrium was calculated after t-hat.The ectopic endometrium,uterus and ovaries were examined histologically and FCM analysis was performed to access cell apoptosis.Results Under fluorescent microscope the green cake-like or punctiform ectopic endometrium were found between the intestines,under abdominal wall or under hepatic lobules or spleen in the model mice.The volume and optical density of fluorescence of ectopic endometrium of the control group were significantly higher than that of experimental group(P 0.01);the cell apoptosis of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group(P 0.05)and the difference was dose-dependent(P 0.05).Conclusion Methotrexate can exert growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effect on ectopic endometrium of model mice and this effect is dose-dependent.This tells us that chemotherapy drug methotrexate may be used as remedy for some refractory endometriosis.