Abstract Study question Whether other forms of intercellular communication such as extracellular vesicles (EVs) participate in stem cell maintenance the human endometrium. Summary answer The present study revealed involvement EVs a novel method between endometrial mesenchymal cells (eMSC) and their surrounding niche. What is known already In endometrium, many studies have demonstrated importanc...

Hoxa11 is an essential regulator of embryonic uterine development and the cyclic development of the adult uterine endometrium. Hoxa11 is required for female fertility, as evidenced by targeted mutation. Here we demonstrate a naturally occurring Hoxa11 (mouse)/HOXA11 (human) antisense transcript present in the adult mouse and human endometrium. HOXA11 antisense transcript levels varied during th...

BACKGROUND Elevated fibrosis has been found in patients with intrauterine adhesion, which indicates that fibrotic factors may play a critical role in formation of intrauterine adhesion. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) at high and low molecular weight on fibrosis of the endometrium in a mouse model of Asherman's syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS Endometrial ...

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent inflammatory disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Patients experience chronic pelvic pain and infertility, with the most likely origin of the tissue deposits (lesions) being endometrial fragments shed at menses. Menstruation is an inflammatory process associated with a dramatic increase in inflammatory me...

BACKGROUND In animal models of endometriosis, the identification and quantification of lesions originating from human endometrium is often hampered by the small size of the implants and their embedding in murine tissue. The purpose of the present study was to develop two new methods of quantifying endometriosis-like lesions in a nude mouse model: fluorimetry and morphometry. METHODS Human men...

BACKGROUND Cyclic shedding of the endometrium is unique to menstruating species, and mouse menstruation models by physiologic progesterone withdrawal have been previously reported. Since progesterone action ablated pharmacologically may provide more insight into the mechanism of action, a mouse menstruation model using mifepristone was established. METHODS Mifepristone was administered follow...

BACKGROUND The human endometrium undergoes cyclical regeneration throughout a woman's reproductive life. Ectopic implantation of endometrial cells through retrograde menstruation gives rise to endometriotic lesions which affect approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women. The high regenerative capacity of the human endometrium at eutopic and ectopic sites suggests the existence of stem/progeni...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to review the evidence from studies that evaluated the relationship between vitamin D and endometriosis. DESIGN Comprehensive review. MATERIALS AND METHODS Systematic literature search in Medline for relevant publications from 1946 until June 2013. RESULTS Endometriosis risk may be influenced by dietary vitamin D intake and plasma hydroxyvitamin D concen...