Improved nude mouse models for green fluorescence human endometriosis

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Animal Models
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Endometriosis is a debilitating condition affecting women of reproductive age.
• Current animal models for endometriosis often lack noninvasive monitoring capabilities.
• Developing improved noninvasive models is crucial for studying disease progression and testing therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an improved noninvasive fluorescent animal model for endometriosis.
• To compare the efficacy of using transfected cells versus tissue fragments for model creation.

Main Methods:

• Adenovirus encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (Ad-eGFP) was used to transfect primary endometrial glandular and stromal cells or endometrial fragments.
• Transfected cells (Group 1) or fragments (Group 2) were injected subcutaneously into nude mice.
• Noninvasive fluorescent imaging was used to monitor lesion development and duration.

Main Results:

• GFP-positive rates were significantly higher in the cell suspension group (Group 1) compared to the tissue fragment group (Group 2).
• Fluorescent-positive duration was substantially longer in Group 1 (23.6 days) versus Group 2 (5.9 days).
• Group 1 exhibited more typical lesions, higher fluorescent-positive lesion rates, and greater lesion weight.

Conclusions:

• Subcutaneous injection of Ad-eGFP-transfected endometrial glandular and stromal cells creates a superior noninvasive animal model for endometriosis.
• This improved model offers higher positive rates, longer fluorescent imaging duration, and increased lesion weight.
• The model allows for better noninvasive monitoring of endometriosis development in vivo.