title: Human chorionic gonadotropin improves endometriosis through downregulation of leptin expression in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether and how human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) treatment ameliorates endometriosis in an endometriotic rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four endometriosis rats were established and were randomly divided into four groups, and then the rats were treated with 19.4, 25.8, and 51.6 IU/100 g weight/day of HCG, respectively. The control group was treated with 0.9% NaCl. After 15 days (3 estrous cycles), the ectopic lesion volume and the expression of leptin protein in eutopic and ectopic endometrium were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After HCG treatment, the volumes of endometriotic lesions were significantly smaller than those before treatment. During endometriosis development, the expression of leptin protein in eutopic and ectopic endometrium was remarkably increased. HCG administration reversed leptin upregulation in endometriotic tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCG therapy appears to be an effective treatment for endometriosis in rats through down-regulation of leptin expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rui-Ping
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Yu-Zhu
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Kai-Feng
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Pei-Zhen
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D020738:Leptin