Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey,
Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2015 Jul;292(1):209-16. doi: 10.1007/s00404-014-3599-4. Epub 2014 Dec 19.
The aim of this study was to test if melatonin causes regression of endometriotic implants and whether it influences implant levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in rats.
Endometriotic implants were introduced surgically to 20 female Wistar albino rats, which were either treated with melatonin via intraperitoneal injection for four weeks (melatonin group, n = 10) or with saline (control group, n = 10) after a second-look laparotomies. The main outcome measures included volume (mm(3)) and weight (mg) of explants and tissue levels of SOD, MDA, VEGF, TIMP-2 and MMP-9.
Before and after treatment implant volumes of the melatonin group were decreased significantly (P < 0.01) while there was no significant difference between the pretreatment and posttreatment implant volumes of the control group. Moreover, weight (P < 0.05) and histologic score (P < 0.05) of implants of the melatonin-treated rats were significantly lower than controls. Activity of SOD and TIMP-2 staining in melatonin group was significantly higher (both P < 0.01) while there were significant reductions in implant levels of VEGF and MMP-9 in melatonin group (both P < 0.01) than controls.
Melatonin induces the regression of endometriotic implants in rats by modulating implant levels of SOD, MDA, VEGF, MMP-9 and TIMP-2.
本研究旨在检验褪黑素是否能使子宫内膜异位症种植体消退，以及其是否会影响种植体中超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、丙二醛（MDA）、血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）、金属蛋白酶组织抑制剂-2（TIMP-2）和基质金属蛋白酶-9（MMP-9）的水平。
通过手术将子宫内膜异位症种植体引入 20 只雌性 Wistar 白化大鼠中，其中 10 只在第二次剖腹手术后通过腹腔注射褪黑素治疗四周（褪黑素组），另 10 只注射生理盐水（对照组）。主要观察指标包括种植体的体积（mm³）和重量（mg），以及 SOD、MDA、VEGF、TIMP-2 和 MMP-9 的组织水平。
褪黑素组治疗前后种植体体积明显减小（P<0.01），而对照组治疗前后种植体体积无明显差异。此外，褪黑素治疗组的种植体重量（P<0.05）和组织学评分（P<0.05）均明显低于对照组。褪黑素组 SOD 和 TIMP-2 染色的活性明显升高（均 P<0.01），而种植体中 VEGF 和 MMP-9 的水平明显降低（均 P<0.01），均低于对照组。
褪黑素通过调节 SOD、MDA、VEGF、MMP-9 和 TIMP-2 的水平，诱导大鼠子宫内膜异位症种植体消退。
