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da Silva MCM, Ferreira LPDS, Della Giustina A. It is time to change the definition: Endometriosis is no longer a pelvic disease. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2024; 79:100326. [PMID: 38325019 PMCID: PMC10862498 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Luiz Philipe de Souza Ferreira
- Department of Morphology and Genetics, Structural and Functional Biology Graduate Program, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda Della Giustina
- Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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Neto AC, Santos-Pereira M, Abreu-Mendes P, Neves D, Almeida H, Cruz F, Charrua A. The Unmet Needs for Studying Chronic Pelvic/Visceral Pain Using Animal Models. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030696. [PMID: 36979674 PMCID: PMC10045296 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The different definitions of chronic pelvic/visceral pain used by international societies have changed over the years. These differences have a great impact on the way researchers study chronic pelvic/visceral pain. Recently, the role of systemic changes, including the role of the central nervous system, in the perpetuation and chronification of pelvic/visceral pain has gained weight. Consequently, researchers are using animal models that resemble those systemic changes rather than using models that are organ- or tissue-specific. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using bladder-centric and systemic models, enumerating some of the central nervous system changes and pain-related behaviors occurring in each model. We also present some drawbacks when using animal models and pain-related behavior tests and raise questions about possible, yet to be demonstrated, investigator-related bias. We also suggest new approaches to study chronic pelvic/visceral pain by refining existing animal models or using new ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catarina Neto
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Santos-Pereira
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Abreu-Mendes
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Urology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Physiology and Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Delminda Neves
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Henrique Almeida
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Ginecologia-Obstetrícia, Hospital-CUF Porto, 4100-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - Francisco Cruz
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Urology, Centro Hospitalar de São João, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Physiology and Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Charrua
- Experimental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- I3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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Overexpression of ErbB-1 (EGFR) Protein in Eutopic Endometrium of Infertile Women with Severe Ovarian Endometriosis during the ‘Implantation Window’ of Menstrual Cycle. REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/reprodmed3040022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The strong association between endometriosis and infertility is of high clinical significance. High proliferative bias in eutopic endometrium during the secretory phase is a hallmark of endometriosis, which may result in high occurrence of implantation failure and resultant infertility in endometriosis. The ErbB family of proteins regulates the proliferation capacity in the endometrium, potentially causing endometrial hostility to the implantation process in endometriosis. However, our knowledge regarding the involvement of the ErbB family in human endometrium during the window of implantation (WOI) in endometriosis-associated infertility is scant. In the present study, the cellular profiles of immunopositive ErbBs-1 to -4 in the endometrium of endometriosis-free, infertile women (Group 1; n = 11) and in eutopic endometrium of infertile women diagnosed with stage IV ovarian endometriosis (Group 2; n = 13) during the mid-secretory phase were compared using standardized guidelines. Computer-aided standardized combinative analysis of immunoprecipitation in different compartments revealed an overexpression of ErbB-1 in the epithelial, stromal and vascular compartments, along with marginally higher ErbB-3 expression (p < 0.06) in the vascular compartment and ErbB-4 expression (p < 0.05) in the glandular epithelium and stroma in the endometrium during the WOI in women with primary infertility associated with stage IV ovarian endometriosis compared with disease-free endometrium of control infertile women. It appears that changes in ErbBs in the eutopic endometrium during WOI induce anomalous proliferative, inflammatory and angiogenic activities in it, which can antagonize endometrial preparation for embryo implantation in endometriosis. This knowledge appears usable in strategizing methods for the treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility, as well as preempting the oncogenic potential of endometriosis.
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