Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Mouse Model of Surgically-induced Endometriosis by Auto-transplantation of Uterine Tissue
Published on: January 6, 2012
Unsuccessful induction of endometriosis in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)
Sylvie Defrère1, Jean Squifflet, Jean-Christophe Lousse
1Department of Gynecology, Medical School, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Background/Aims:
The aim of this study was to induce endometriosis in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) for research purposes.
Methods:
Three female monkeys from 4 to 4.5 years of age underwent three consecutive attempts at endometriosis induction over an 8-month period: (i) the first attempt involved intravaginal sampling of endometrial tissue and transplantation into the intrapelvic cavity; (ii) the second entailed surgical removal of endometrium after hysterotomy and intra-abdominal placement, and (iii) the third used endometrial mucosa obtained by scraping the uterus after hysterectomy, placed in a surgical pouch created in the retrovesical space (Retzius). In each case, the pelvic cavity was closely inspected after 7, 9, and 6 weeks respectively for the presence of endometriotic lesions, and peritoneal biopsies were performed.
Results:
Neither macroscopic observation nor histological analysis revealed any endometriotic lesions.
Conclusion:
This failure to induce endometriosis in female rhesus macaques suggests that this species is not the most efficient experimental model among primates to investigate endometriosis development or treatment.
