Reproductive sciences
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Reproductive sciences · Apr 2012
Valproic acid and progestin inhibit lesion growth and reduce hyperalgesia in experimentally induced endometriosis in rats.
Accumulating evidence suggests that endometriosis is an epigenetic disease. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of valproic acid (VPA) and progesterone (P4) in a rat model of endometriosis on serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, hot plate and tail-flick latencies, lesion size, and body weight. We used 77 adult female rats, and endometriosis was induced by autotransplanting pieces of uterus (ENDO) or fat (SHAM) to the pelvic cavity. ⋯ Treatment with VPA significantly reduces lesion growth and improves sensitivity to nocifensive stimuli. The improvement is specific to endometriosis-induced hyperalgesia. Thus, histone deacetylase inhibitors may be a promising therapeutics for treating endometriosis.