Houston K D, Hunter D S, Hodges L C, Walker C L
Department of Carcinogenesis, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville 78957, USA.
Toxicol Pathol. 2001 Jan-Feb;29(1):100-4. doi: 10.1080/019262301301418900.
Uterine leiomyomas, also called fibroids, are the most common reproductive tract neoplasm and the leading indication for hysterectomy in premenopausal women. The discovery and development of medicinal therapies for uterine leiomyoma have been hampered by a lack of understanding regarding the etiology and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of these lesions. Although the estrogen responsiveness of uterine leiomyoma is well established, the impact of environmental estrogens and their contribution to the development of these tumors is currently unknown. The Eker rat model of uterine leiomyoma has proven useful for addressing these issues and understanding the pathophysiology of this disease. The Eker rat is the only animal model that develops spontaneous uterine leiomyomas, and these tumors share many characteristics with those found in humans. The availability of tumor-derived cell lines from these rats has made this a valuable in vitro/in vivo model system for experimental studies to investigate molecular mechanisms of disease and to design interventional and preventative strategies for this clinically relevant tumor.
子宫平滑肌瘤，也称为纤维瘤，是最常见的生殖道肿瘤，也是绝经前女性子宫切除的主要指征。子宫平滑肌瘤药物治疗的发现和发展一直受到对这些病变发生的病因和分子机制缺乏了解的阻碍。尽管子宫平滑肌瘤对雌激素的反应性已得到充分证实，但环境雌激素的影响及其对这些肿瘤发生的作用目前尚不清楚。子宫平滑肌瘤的埃克大鼠模型已被证明有助于解决这些问题并了解该疾病的病理生理学。埃克大鼠是唯一能自发发生子宫平滑肌瘤的动物模型，这些肿瘤与人类的子宫平滑肌瘤有许多共同特征。来自这些大鼠的肿瘤衍生细胞系的可用性使其成为一个有价值的体外/体内模型系统，用于实验研究，以探究疾病的分子机制，并为这种临床相关肿瘤设计干预和预防策略。
