Journals / Ahi Evran Tıp Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 10 Issue: 2

Comparison of Surgically-Induced Endometriosis Models in Rats and the Role of VEGF: A Novel VEGF-Enhanced Rat Model of Endometriosis

Ratlarda Cerrahi Olarak Oluşturulan Endometriozis Modellerinin Karşılaştırılması ve VEGF'nin Rolü: Yeni Bir VEGF Destekli Rat Endometriozis Modeli

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Publication Date
2026-08-31
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The injection + VEGFgroup exhibited extensive endometriosis development, with higher epithelial density, stromal presence, andVEGF staining intensity compared to other groups, and similar overall endometriosis score to the Vernon-Wilson model.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Purpose: Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity.
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Key Findings & Data:All rats underwent oophorectomy to stabilize estrogen levels, followed by oral administration of 17β-estradiol for 21 days.
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Conclusion & Impact:The injection + VEGFgroup exhibited extensive endometriosis development, with higher epithelial density, stromal presence, andVEGF staining intensity compared to other groups, and similar overall endometriosis score to the Vernon-Wilson model.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Endometrial Stromal Cells · Animal models · Inflammatory response.

Abstract

Purpose: Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Animal models that reflect the characteristics of human disease have been critical for research in this field. We sought to develop and validate a novel rat model for endometriosis, incorporating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to enhance disease formation and explore disease-related characteristics. Materials and Methods: Forty adult female non-mated Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: control, Vernon-Wilson method, peritoneal endometrial tissue injection, and peritoneal endometrial tissue injection with VEGF pre-treatment. All rats underwent oophorectomy to stabilize estrogen levels, followed by oral administration of 17β-estradiol for 21 days. Histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations were performed to assessendometriosis severity, stromal development, CD10 positivity, estrogen receptor (ER) staining, VEGF staining, and inflammatory activity. Results: All three models generated significant differences compared to controls. The injection + VEGFgroup exhibited extensive endometriosis development, with higher epithelial density, stromal presence, andVEGF staining intensity compared to other groups, and similar overall endometriosis score to the Vernon-Wilson model. ER positivity was most pronounced in the Vernon-Wilson group, while stromal density and angiogenesis were higher in VEGF recipients. Conclusion: This study introduces a VEGF-enhanced rat model as an efficient and reproducible tool for studying endometriosis. This model emulates pathological features associated with endometriosis, including angiogenesis, immune response, and inflammation, but does not appear to generate ER positivity at the level of the Vernon-Wilson model. Despite this limitation, we believe this simple and efficient model can be crucial for researchers studying endometriosis.

Özet

Amaç: Endometriozis, endometriyal dokunun rahim boşluğu dışına yerleşmesi ile karakterize inflamatuar bir hastalıktır. İnsan hastalığının özelliklerini yansıtan hayvan modelleri bu alandaki araştırmalar için kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada, hastalık oluşumunu artırmak ve hastalığa bağlı özellikleri araştırmak amacıyla, vasküler endotelyal büyüme faktörü (VEGF) içeren yeni bir sıçan endometriozis modeli geliştirilip doğrulanmıştır. Araçlar ve Yöntem: Kırk adet yetişkin dişi, çiftleşmemiş Wistar albino sıçan dört gruba ayrıldı: kontrol, Vernon-Wilson yöntemi, peritoneal endometriyal doku enjeksiyonu ve VEGF ön tedavisi yapılan peritoneal endometriyal doku enjeksiyonu. Tüm sıçanlara östrojen seviyelerinin stabilize edilmesi için overektomi yapıldı ve ardından 21 gün boyunca ağız yoluyla 17β-estradiol verildi. Endometriozis şiddeti, stromal gelişim, CD10 pozitifliği, östrojen reseptörü (ER) boyaması, VEGF boyaması ve inflamatuar aktivite histopatolojik ve immünohistokimyasal olarak değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Üç modelde de kontrol grubuna kıyasla anlamlı farklılıklar gözlendi. Enjeksiyon + VEGF grubunda diğer gruplara göre daha yoğun epitel yoğunluğu, stromal varlık ve VEGF boyama yoğunluğu ile yaygın endometriozis gelişimi görüldü ve genel endometriozis skoru Vernon-Wilson modeli ile benzerdi. ER pozitifliği en belirgin olarak Vernon-Wilson grubunda iken, stromal yoğunluk ve anjiyogenez VEGF uygulananlarda daha yüksekti. Sonuç: Bu çalışma, VEGF destekli sıçan modelini endometriozis çalışmalarında etkin ve tekrarlanabilir bir araç olarak sunmaktadır. Model, endometriozisle ilişkili patolojik özellikleri; anjiyogenez, immün yanıt ve inflamasyonu taklit etmektedir. Ancak ER pozitifliği Vernon-Wilson modelindeki düzeyde değildir. Bu sınırlamaya rağmen, bu basit ve etkili modelin endometriozis araştıran araştırmacılar için önemli bir katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Mutlu, S., Yıldız, Ç., Kurt, B., Yeldir, N., Mutlu, E. C. (2026). Comparison of Surgically-Induced Endometriosis Models in Rats and the Role of VEGF: A Novel VEGF-Enhanced Rat Model of Endometriosis. Ahi Evran Tıp Dergisi, Volume: 10 Issue: 2. https://doi.org/10.46332/aemj.1798372

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