title: Establishment of long-term model throughout regular menstrual cycles in immunodeficient mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The number of uterus natural killer (NK) cells change through the menstrual cycle, but the origin of uterus NK cell was not unclear. Our aims are to study whether we can reproduce repetition of menstrual cycle and to reveal the origin of uterus NK cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometrial samples were obtained from fertile women, and the tissues were transplanted into ovariectomized non-obese diabetic (NOD)/severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)/γCnull (NOG) mice. Mice were treated with sex hormones which were in accord with human menstrual cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The replants showed similar histological changes as in eutopic endometrium repeatedly. CD56-positive, CD16-negative NK cells increased significantly during the treatment with estradiol and progesterone combination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Histological assessment demonstrated that this model of NOG mice repeatedly exhibited regular menstrual cycles, and this model mimicked not 'ectopic endometrium', but 'eutopic endometrium' in humans. Change in number of NK cells suggested that NK cell might be derived from the endometrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan. maiko-k@mail.tains.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi-Arai
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akahira
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki-Kakisaka
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayasaka
authors.forename: Tomohisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ugajin
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yaegashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004717:Endometrium / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016513:Mice, SCID; D023421:Models, Animal; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol