Iron overload enhances epithelial cell proliferation in endometriotic lesions induced in a murine model.
BACKGROUND
Iron deposits are characteristic of endometriotic lesions, and pelvic iron concentrations are higher in endometriosis patients than in women without endometriosis. In this study, the effect of iron overload and iron chelation on the development of endometriosis in a murine model was investigated.


METHODS
Human menstrual endometrium was injected i.p. into nude mice, either alone (controls) or supplemented with erythrocytes or desferrioxamine (DFO), an iron chelator. After 5 days, the iron load of endometriosis-like lesions and peritoneal macrophages and fluid was evaluated. Lesions were quantified by immunohistochemical morphometry, and their proliferative activity was assessed.


RESULTS
Injection of erythrocytes into the pelvic cavity caused iron overload in lesions (P < 0.025) and peritoneal macrophages (P < 0.01) and fluid (P < 0.05), whereas DFO effectively reduced iron status in lesions (P < 0.05) and macrophages (P < 0.01) compared with controls. No difference was observed in the number or surface area of lesions between the three groups. Erythrocytes increased (P < 0.05) and DFO significantly decreased (P < 0.01) the proliferative activity of lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Iron overload does not appear to affect lesion establishment but may contribute to the further growth of endometriosis by promoting cell proliferation of lesions. Iron chelator treatment could therefore be beneficial in endometriosis to prevent iron overload in the pelvic cavity and decrease cellular proliferation of lesions.
Defrère
Sylvie
S
Department of Gynaecology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Van Langendonckt
Anne
A
Vaesen
Sophie
S
Jouret
Mathieu
M
González Ramos
Reinaldo
R
Gonzalez
Dolores
D
Donnez
Jacques
J
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D003676:Deferoxamine