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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Mouse Model of Surgically-induced Endometriosis by Auto-transplantation of Uterine Tissue
Published on: January 6, 2012
Effect of interferon alpha-2b on endometrioma cells in vitro
S Z Badawy1, A Etman, V Cuenca
1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA. badawys@upstate.edu
Objective:
To examine the effect of interferon alpha-2b on the growth of endometrioma cells and its effect on the DNA synthesis.
Methods:
Cells from four separate endometrioma cell lines were seeded into six-well plates in M199 medium containing increasing levels of interferon alpha-2b: 0 (control), 50, 100, 500, 1000, and 2000 U/mL. All cells were counted on days 0, 3, 6, and 9 in quadruplicate, and the counts were averaged for each condition. A second experiment was run to demonstrate the effect of short-term exposure of interferon alpha-2b on the growth of endometrioma cells in culture. In a separate experiment, cells from two endometriomas were plated in quadruplicate to evaluate the DNA synthesis. On day 3, 1000 and 4000 U/mL of interferon alpha-2b were added and run simultaneously with control (0 U/mL) wells. 3H-thymidine was added to each condition for 24 and 48 hours' incubation. Cells were then harvested and counted in a scintillation counter to study the 3H-thymidine uptake.
Results:
Interferon alpha-2b suppressed endometrioma cell growth in vitro. This effect increased with increasing concentrations of interferon alpha-2b (50-2000 U/mL) compared with the control (0 U/mL). The suppression of cell growth was statistically significant, but when interferon alpha-2b was removed from the culture cell growth increased. 3H-thymidine uptake by endometrioma cells decreased compared with the control after 24 and 48 hours for interferon alpha-2b concentrations of 1000 and 4000 U/mL, respectively.
Conclusion:
Interferon alpha-2b inhibits the growth and DNA synthesis of endometrioma cells in culture. This finding may have prospects for the treatment of endometriosis.
