Regulation of Inflammatory and Proliferative Pathways by Fotemustine and Dexamethasone in Endometriosis.

Abstract

Endometriosis is a common disease. Its pathogenesis still remains uncertain, but it is clear that cell proliferation, apoptosis and chronic inflammation play an important role in its development. This paper aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of a combined therapy with fotemustine and dexamethasone. Endometriosis was induced by intraperitoneal injections of uterine fragments from donor animals to recipient animals. Next, the pathology was allowed to develop for 7 days. On the seventh day, fotemustine was administered once and dexamethasone was administered daily for the next 7 days. On Day 14, the animals were sacrificed, and peritoneal fluids and lesions were explanted. In order to evaluate the gastrointestinal side effects of the drugs, stomachs were harvested as well. The combined therapy of fotemustine and dexamethasone reduced the proinflammatory mediator levels in the peritoneal fluid and reduced the lesions' area and diameter. In particular, fotemustine and dexamethasone administration reduced the heterogeneous development of endometrial stroma and glands (histological analysis of lesions) and hyperproliferation of endometriotic cells (immunohistochemical analysis of Ki67 and Western blot analysis of PCNA) through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Combined fotemustine and dexamethasone therapy showed anti-inflammatory effects by inducing the synthesis of anti-inflammatory mediators at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels (Western blot analysis of NFκB, COX-2 and PGE2 expression). Fotemustine and dexamethasone administration had anti-apoptotic activity, restoring the impaired mechanism (TUNEL assay and Western blot analysis of Bax and Bcl-2). Moreover, no gastric disfunction was detected (histological analysis of stomachs). Thus, our data showed that the combined therapy of fotemustine and dexamethasone reduced endometriosis-induced inflammation, hyperproliferation and apoptosis resistance.

• Authors: Tiziana Genovese, Rosalba Siracusa, Ramona D'Amico, Marika Cordaro, Alessio Filippo Peritore, Enrico Gugliandolo, Rosalia Crupi, Angela Trovato Salinaro, Emanuela Raffone, Daniela Impellizzeri, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Roberta Fusco, Rosanna Di Paola
• Journal: International journal of molecular sciences (Int J Mol Sci) Vol. 22 Issue 11 (Jun 01 2021) ISSN: 1422-0067 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 34206129 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• NF-kappa B
• Nitrosourea Compounds
• Organophosphorus Compounds
• Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen
• RELA protein, human
• Transcription Factor RelA
• Dexamethasone
• fotemustine

Topics

• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Ascitic Fluid (metabolism)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Dexamethasone (pharmacology)
• Endometriosis (complications, drug therapy, genetics, pathology)
• Endometrium (drug effects, pathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Inflammation (complications, drug therapy, genetics, pathology)
• NF-kappa B (genetics)
• Nitrosourea Compounds (pharmacology)
• Organophosphorus Compounds (pharmacology)
• Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (genetics)
• Rats
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)
• Transcription Factor RelA (genetics)