Light and electron microscopic evaluation of antileukotriene therapy for experimental rat endometriosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of antileukotriene therapy, we examined the morphologic alteration in experimental rat endometriosis both with and without leukotriene receptor antagonist treatment. DESIGN: Light and electron microscopic analysis. SETTING: Tochigi Institute of Clinical Pathology, Japan. ANIMAL(S): Female Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on a schedule of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark for 2 weeks. INTERVENTION(S): Uterine transplants were attached to rat peritoneum via the surgical autotransplantation technique. After autotransplantation, the rats were given daily administration of leukotriene receptor antagonist, and the lesions were examined at 4 and 7 days after autotransplantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The morphologic comparison of rat endometriosis with and without antileukotriene therapy. RESULT(S): In the rats treated with leukotriene receptor antagonist, a significant decrease in stromal proliferation was observed when compared with nontreated rats. The treated rats showed not only the suppression of infiltration and activation of mast cells but also widespread apoptosis of proliferative fibroblasts in the lesions. CONCLUSION(S): Our results reveal that a leukotriene receptor antagonist has significant therapeutic value for the treatment of rat endometriosis. It is likely that antileukotriene therapy would be efficacious in the treatment and prevention of human endometriosis.