Successful heterotransplantation of human endometrium in SCID mice.
OBJECTIVE
To establish an experimental system useful for long-term evaluation of human endometrial tissue by its heterotransplantation to SCID mice.


METHODS
Human endometrium was transplanted subcutaneously into SCID mice, nude mice, or nude mice given anti-asialo GM1 antibody, a natural killer activity suppressor. The transplant was observed by ultrasonography for up to 10 weeks and then morphologically. To assess the drug susceptibility of the transplant, danazol (10-100 mg/kg/day orally), buserelin (0.01 mg/kg/day subcutaneously), or estradiol (0.5 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally) was administered to the host mice for up to 10 weeks after the transplantation. Multiple-comparison procedures were used for statistical evaluation.


RESULTS
The heterotransplant was accepted 100% in SCID mice and natural killer activity-suppressed nude mice, but was significantly inferior (40%) in nude mice at 10 weeks after the transplantation. The transplant size was volumetrically measurable noninvasively by ultrasonography. Using this SCID mouse model, we could evaluate drug effects on the transplanted endometrium.


CONCLUSIONS
This system in SCID mice may be useful for evaluating drug actions on human endometrium and endometriotic tissues.
Aoki
D
D
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Katsuki
Y
Y
Shimizu
A
A
Kakinuma
C
C
Nozawa
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002064:Buserelin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003613:Danazol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000502:physiology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D004958:Estradiol; D003613:Danazol; D002064:Buserelin