Endometriosis is a chronic condition characterized by growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Common symptoms include dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia, non-cyclic pelvic pain, and infertility. Endometriosis is often treated surgically upon diagnosis but with a higher rate of recurrence, suggesting that a combination of surgical and medical management might provide better outcomes. The primary goal of medical treatment is to interrupt the growth and activity of endometriosis lesions. Because of the chronic nature of this disease, long-term or repeated courses of medication may be required to control symptoms. Increasing knowledge about the pathogenesis of endometriosis at the cellular and molecular levels may give us the opportunity to use new pharmaceutical agents affecting angiogenesis, inflammation, oxidative stress, proliferation or apoptosis to prevent or inhibit the development of endometriosis.
VercelliniP., SomiglianaE., ViganòP., AbbiatiA., DaguatiR., CrosignaniP.G.. Endometriosis: current and future medical therapies.Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol2008; 22: 275–306.
4.
SimpsonE.R.. Sources of estrogen and their importance.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol2003; 86: 225–30.
MaasJ.W., GroothuisP.G., DunselmanG.A., de GoeijA.F., Struyker BoudierH.A., EversJ.L.. Endometrial angiogenesis throughout the human menstrual cycle.Hum Reprod2001; 16: 1557–61.
8.
GroothuisP.G., NapA.W., WinterhagerE., GrümmerR.. Vascular development in endometriosis.Angiogenesis2005; 8: 147–56.
9.
BocciG., FascianiA., OrlandiP., di PaoloA., Del TaccaM., DanesiR.. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) single nucleotide polymorphisms and endometriosis: still a controversial issue.Journal of Endometriosis2009; 1: 94–101.
FerraraN.. Role of vascular endothelial growth factor in physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis: therapeutic implications.Semin Oncol2002; 29: 10–4.
12.
BeckerC.M., WrightR.D., Satchi-FainaroR.A novel noninvasive model of endometriosis for monitoring the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy.Am J Pathol2006; 168: 2074–84.
13.
McCartyM.F., LiuW., FanF.Promises and pitfalls of anti-angiogenic therapy in clinical trials.Trends Mol Med2003; 9: 53–8.
14.
BeckerC.M., D'AmatoR.J.. Angiogenesis and antiangiogenic therapy in endometriosis.Microvasc Res2007; 74: 121–30.
15.
GirlingJ.E., RogersP.A.. Recent advances in endometrial angiogenesis research.Angiogenesis2005; 8: 89–99.
16.
KressinP., WolberE.M., WodrichH.Vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA in eutopic and ectopic endometrium.Fertil Steril2001; 76: 1220–4.
17.
Van LangendoncktA., DonnezJ., DefrèreS., DunselmanG.A., GroothuisP.G.. Antiangiogenic and vascular-disrupting agents in endometriosis: pitfalls and promises.Mol Hum Reprod2008; 14: 259–68.
18.
Cunha-FilhoJ.S., GrossJ.L., VettoriD., DiasE.C., PassosE.P.. Growth hormone and prolactin secretion after metoclopramide administration (DA2 receptor blockade) in fertile women.Horm Metab Res2001; 33: 536–9.
19.
KoJ.Y., AhnY.L., ChoB.N.. Angiogenesis and white blood cell proliferation induced in mice by injection of a prolactin-expressing plasmid into muscle.Mol Cells2003; 15: 262–70.
20.
ReeseJ., BinartN., BrownN.Implantation and decidualization defects in prolactin receptor (PRLR)-deficient mice are mediated by ovarian but not uterine PRLR.Endocrinology2000; 141: 1872–81.
21.
GregoriouG., BakasP., VitoratosN.Evaluation of serum prolactin levels in patients with endometriosis and infertility.Gynecol Obstet Invest1999; 48: 48–51.
Novella-MaestreE., CardaC., NogueraI.Dopamine agonist administration causes a reduction in endometrial implants through modulation of angiogenesis in experimentally induced endometriosis.Hum Reprod2009; 24: 1025–35.
25.
NisolleM., Casanas-RouxF., AnafV., MineJ.M., DonnezJ.. Morphometric study of the stromal vascularization in peritoneal endometriosis.Fertil Steril1993; 59: 681–4.
26.
PauliS.A., TangH., WangJ.The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor 2 pathway is critical for blood vessel survival in corpora lutea of pregnancy in the roden.Endocrinology2005; 146: 1301–11.
27.
MoravekM.B., WardE.A., LebovicD.I.. Thiazolidinediones as therapy for endometriosis: a case series.Gynecol Obstet Invest2009; 68: 167–70.
28.
KalyoncuN.I., YarisF., UlkuC.A case of rosiglitazone-exposure in the second trimester of pregnancy.Reprod Toxicol2005; 19: 563–4.
29.
WieserF., YuJ., ParkJ.A botanical extract from channel flow inhibits cell proliferation, induces apoptosis, and suppresses CCL5 in human endometriotic stromal cells.J Clin Endocrinol Metab2010; 95: 3453–9.
30.
WieserF., CohenM., GaeddertA.Evolution of medical treatment for endometriosis: back to the roots?Hum Reprod Update2007; 13: 487–99.
31.
MoriT., SakamotiS., SingtripopT.Suppression of spontaneous development of uterine adenomyosis by a Chinese herbal medicine, keishi-bukuryo-gan, in mice.Planta Med1993; 59: 308–11.
OsmanH.G., El-RefaeyA.A., Abdel AzizF., El-SokkaryM.A., El-SaeedR.A.. Leptin and antioxidant profile in infertile women with endometriosis.Journal of Endometriosis2010; 2: 135–43.
35.
OtaH., IgarashiS., SatoN., TanakaH., TanakaT.. Involvement of catalase in the endometrium of patients with endometriosis and adenomyosis.Fertil Steril2002; 78: 804–9.
36.
SiristatidisC., NissotakisC., ChreliasC., IacovidouH., SalamalekisE.. Immunological factors and their role in the genesis and development of endometriosis.J Obstet Gynaecol Res2006; 32: 162–70.
37.
GoldbergR.J., KatzJ.. A meta-analysis of the analgesic effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for inflammatory joint pain.Pain2007; 129: 210–23.
NovembriR., LuisiS., CarrarelliP., CianiV., De PascalisF., PetragliaF.. Omega 3 fatty acids counteract IL-8 and prostaglandin E2 secretion induced by TNF-α in cultured endometrial stromal cells.Journal of Endometriosis2011; 3: 34–9.
40.
WassmannS., LaufsU., MüllerK.Cellular antioxidant effects of atorvastatin in vitro and in vivo.Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol2002; 22: 300–5.
41.
FranzoniF., Quiñones-GalvanA., RegoliF., FerranniniE., GalettaF.. A comparative study of the in vitro antioxidant activity of statins.Int J Cardiol2003; 90: 317–21.
42.
ShishehborM.H., BrennanM.L., AvilesR.J.Statins promote potent systemic antioxidant effects through specific inflammatory pathways.Circulation2003; 108: 426–31.
43.
DaneshF.R., SadeghiM.M., AmroN.3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase inhibitors prevent high glucose-induced proliferation of mesangial cells via modulation of Rho GTPase/ p21 signaling pathway: Implications for diabetic nephropathy.Proc Natl Acad Sci USA.2002; 99: 8301–5.
44.
Skaletz-RorowskiA., WalshK.. Statin therapy and angiogenesis.Curr Opin Lipidol2003; 14: 599–603.
45.
MattinglyR.R., GibbsR.A., MenardR.E., ReinersJJJr.Potent suppression of proliferation of a10 vascular smooth muscle cells by combined treatment with lovastatin and 3-allylfarnesol, an inhibitor of protein farnesyltransferase.J Pharmacol Exp Ther2002; 303: 74–81.
46.
FoyouziN., BerkkanogluM., AriciA., KwintkiewiczJ., IzquierdoD., DulebaA.J.. Effects of oxidants and antioxidants on proliferation of endometrial stromal cells.Fertil Steril2004; 82: 1019–22.
47.
LaschkeM.W., ElitzschA., ScheuerC., VollmarB., MengerM.D.. Selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibition induces regression of autologous endometrial grafts by down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated angiogenesis and stimulation of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis.Fertil Steril2007; 87: 163–71.
48.
SokalskaA., WongD.H., CressA.Simvastatin induces apoptosis and alters cytoskeleton in endometrial stromal cells.J Clin Endocrinol Metab2010; 95: 3453–9.
