Interleukin-6 in experimental endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peripheral serum and conditioned media (CM) of macrophages collected from the peritoneal cavity in rats before and after surgically inducing endometriosis.


METHODS
Adult female rats (n = 50) underwent autotransplantation of adipose tissue or uterine squares. Peritoneal cavity macrophages were collected at the initial laparotomy. Rats were killed 4 or 8 weeks later, and peripheral serum and peritoneal cavity macrophages were collected. Macrophages were cultured for 48 hours, and the IL-6 concentrations in CM and serum were measured using the B9 hybridoma cell line bioassay.


RESULTS
Serum IL-6 levels were significantly increased at 4 weeks but not at 8 weeks in rats receiving endometrial implants. Interleukin-6 production by macrophages from rats with endometrial implants at 4 or 8 weeks was not significantly different from baseline or from rats receiving adipose tissue implants.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased serum IL-6 levels at 4 but not 8 weeks after surgical induction of endometriosis suggest that IL-6 may be involved in the initial development of endometriosis in this experimental model.
Lim
Y T
YT
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7836.
Schenken
R S
RS
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D015850:Interleukin-6