title: Stress management affects outcomes in the pathophysiology of an endometriosis model.
abstract: We have previously shown detrimental effects of stress in an animal model of endometriosis. We now investigated whether the ability to control stress can affect disease parameters. Endometriosis was surgically induced in female Sprague-Dawley rats before exposing animals to a controllable (submerged platform) or uncontrollable (no platform) swim stress protocol. Corticosterone levels and fecal pellet numbers were measured as an indicator of stress. Uncontrollable stress increased the number and size of the endometriotic cysts. Rats receiving uncontrollable stress had higher anxiety than those exposed to controllable stress or no stress and higher corticosterone levels. Uncontrollable stressed rats had more colonic damage and uterine cell infiltration compared to no stress, while controllable stress rats showed less of an effect. Uncontrollable stress also increased both colonic and uterine motility. In summary, the level of stress controllability appears to modulate the behavior and pathophysiology of endometriosis and offers evidence for evaluating therapeutic interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ponce, PR, USA cappleyard@psm.edu.
authors.forename: Caroline B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Appleyard
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ponce, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Myrella L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ponce, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Siomara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ponce, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Kenira J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Public Health Program, Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ponce, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bayona
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ponce, PR, USA.
authors.forename: Idhaliz
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Flores
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D003672:Defecation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D018782:Maze Learning; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D014590:Uterine Contraction
chemical_list: D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: animal model; controllable; corticosterone; corticotrophin releasing factor; endometriosis; rat; stress