Anastrozole and celecoxib for endometriosis treatment, good to keep them apart?

OLIVARES, CARLA NOEMÍ; BILOTAS, MARIELA ANDREA; RICCI, ANALÍA GABRIELA; BARAÑAO, ROSA INÉS; MERESMAN, GABRIELA FABIANA

REPRODUCTION

BIOSCIENTIFICA LTD

Lugar: Bristol; Año: 2013 vol. 145 p. 1470 - 1626

1470-1626

Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and aromatase proteins have been shown to be overexpressed in eutopic endometrium from women suffering from this disease compared to disease-free women. Furthermore, inhibiting these molecules individually was demonstrated to have antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects both in vitro and in vivo in several models. In this study, the effect of combining celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, and anastrozole,an aromatase inhibitor, on the implantation and growth of endometriotic like lesions in a murine model of endometriosis was evaluated. Endometriosis was surgically induced in female BALB/c mice. After 28 days of treatment with celecoxib, anastrozole or their combination, animals were sacrificed and lesions were counted, measured, excised and fixed. Immunohistochemistry for proliferating cell nuclear antigen and CD34 were performed for assessment of cell proliferation and vascularization. TdT mediated dUTP Nick-End Labelling technique was performed for apoptosis evaluation. Celecoxib was the only treatment to significantly reduce the number of lesions established per mouse, their size and vascularized area. In addition, cell proliferation was significantly diminished and apoptosis was significantly enhanced by both individual treatments. When the therapies were combined they reversed their effects. These results confirm that celecoxib and anastrozole separately decrease endometriotic growth, but when combined they might have antagonizing effects.