title: Development of an experimental model of endometriosis using mice that ubiquitously express green fluorescent protein.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aiming at improving an animal model of endometriosis, we developed a homologous mouse model using 'green mice' that ubiquitously express green fluorescent protein.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometrial fragment obtained from estradiol (E2)-supplemented ovariectomized 'green mice' was minced and injected into the peritoneal cavity of ovariectomized wild-type mice. The recipient wild mice were raised with or without E2 supplementation for 2 weeks, and then were euthanized. Endometriotic lesions that developed in the abdomen were examined both macroscopically and microscopically under fluorescence, and weight of the lesions was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The endometriotic lesions were more clearly detected under fluorescence imaging than by conventional macroscopic examination. Histologically, endometriotic lesions deriving from 'green mice' were sharply distinguished from surrounding host tissues under fluorescence microscopy. More lesions developed in E2-supplemented than control recipient mice. The measured fluorescence intensity of endometriotic lesions showed significant positive correlation with their weight (R=0.844, P<0.0001), and was significantly higher in E2-supplemented mice than in vehicle-supplemented mice (P=0.0062).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present endometriosis model using 'green mice' would be useful for expeditious identification and quantitative evaluation of endometriotic lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osuga
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: Chieko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taketani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009929:Organ Size; D010052:Ovariectomy
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D004958:Estradiol