A Novel Experimental Model of Colorectal Endometriosis

Anastasia Prodromidou, Vasilios Pergialiotis, Pavlakis K, Kitty Pavlakis, Korou LM, Laskarina Maria Korou, Maximos Frountzas, Dimitrios Dimitroulis, Dimitroulis D, Vaos G, Georgios Vaos, Despina N Perrea, Perrea DN, Despina Perrea
Journal of investigative surgery : the official journal of the Academy of Surgical Research · 2017 · vol. 31(4) , pp. 275–281 · doi:10.1080/08941939.2017.1317374 · PMID:28541751 · W2619276952
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 6 in-corpus citations
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This study developed a feasible and reproducible rat model of colorectal endometriosis by surgically implanting uterine horns around the rectum, which resulted in adherent endometriotic lesions.

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Abstract

PURPOSE: Endometriosis is a disease that affects 6-10% of the female population, mainly women of reproductive age, and causes a variety of cyclic symptoms. Deep infiltrating endometriosis and in particular bowel involvement presents a challenge for modern surgery. To date, there are no experimental animal models in this field, demonstrating experimental induction of endometriosis directly attached to surface of the colon imitating human colorectal endometriosis; hence, the implementation of novel pharmaceutical and surgical strategies for the management of colorectal endometriosis is mainly limited to clinical studies. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate whether induction of colorectal endometriotic lesions in is feasible in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty, female, adult, non-pregnant Sprague Dawley rats sustained uterine horn resection, which was then placed around the rectum of the rat with the endometrial surface in direct contact with the bowel serosa and approximated in the serosal surface of the colon with two sutures. RESULTS: Two weeks following, surgery rats were euthanized and the bowel was surgically explored. The presence of a cystic lump at the site of the surgical intervention was evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. Histopathology documented the presence of cystic endometriosis. The endometriotic focus was adherent to the bowel wall by large fibrous nodules with concomitant replacement of part of the outer longitudinal muscle layer. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study support that the proposed experimental model of colorectal endometriosis is feasible, easily reproducible and may be implemented in future research in this field.

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Condition tags

endometriosisdie_deep_infiltrating

MeSH descriptors

Colonic Diseases Disease Models, Animal Endometriosis Endometrium Rats Rectum Animals Colonic Diseases Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Feasibility Studies Female Humans Rats, Sprague-Dawley Rectum Rectum

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