The impact of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on thin endometrium of an animal model with rats

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate whether G-CSF improves the endometrial thickness of thin endometrium by influencing proliferative, angiogenic and apoptotic factors, an experimental rat model was conducted using 24 female adult rats with either thin or healthy endometrium that each was further divided into G-CSF or saline injection groups with six rats.

Materials and methods

After forming of the thin endometrium by uterine injection of 0.2 ml 96% ethyl alcohol to the rats, five days of subcutaneous injections of 40 μg/kg G-CSF or saline were given. Endometrial thickness, immunohistochemically expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGF-R2), proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and fibronectin apoptosis with TUNEL method were compared in specimens among four groups of post-model rats.

Results

Endometrial thickness was significantly improved in thin but not in normal endometrium group with GCSF when compared to saline injection. Stromal and glandular epithelial expression of PCNA and pericapillary VEGF-R2 was significantly increased, and apoptosis was significantly decreased with G-CSF. Although fibronectin was also increased with G-CSF in the thin endometrium, the difference was non-significant. In further, G-CSF decreased apoptotic cells and increased expression of PCNA when compared to saline injection in normal endometrium.

Conclusions

G-CSF improves endometrial thickness, proliferation, angiogenesis and DNA fragmentation in thin endometrium.

摘要

目的：探讨粒细胞集落刺激因子(G-CSF)是否通过影响增殖、血管生成和凋亡因子而增加薄型子宫内膜的厚度, 将24只薄型或健康子宫内膜的成年雌性大鼠进一步分为G-CSF和生理盐水注射组, 每组6只。

材料和方法：对大鼠子宫注射0.2ml 96%乙醇构建薄型子宫内膜后, 皮下注射G-CSF μg/kg或生理盐水5d。比较四组造模后大鼠的子宫内膜厚度、血管内皮生长因子受体-2(VEGF-R2)的免疫组化表达、增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)和TUNEL法测定的纤维连接蛋白凋亡的变化。

结果：与注射生理盐水相比, 注射G-CSF后, 薄型子宫内膜厚度明显增加, 而正常内膜组内膜厚度无明显变化。经G-CSF注射后, 间质和腺上皮PCNA和毛细管周VEGF-R2的表达显著增加, 凋亡显著减少。尽管G-CSF注射后纤维连接蛋白在薄型子宫内膜中也增加, 但差异无统计学意义。此外, 与注射生理盐水相比, G-CSF减少了正常子宫内膜中细胞凋亡, 增加了PCNA的表达。

结论：G-CSF可增加薄型子宫内膜的增厚、增殖、血管生成并改善DNA片段化。

Keywords:

• Thin endometrium
• GCSF
• granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
• IVF
• recurrent implantation failure

Acknowledgements

We thank Gazi University to support this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).