Baboon Peripheral Nerve (NHP-TI139)

The paper is an experimental research aimed at defining location and density in which the distribution of the nerve fiber is found in deeply invasive nodular lesions of endometriosis that were induced in these animals. This research was seeking to understand the presence of the nerve fibers within the deep endometriotic nodules, which had been induced six months after the grafting procedure in the baboons. The present study is situated at an academic gynecology research unit and involves ten baboons that will serve as subjects of the experimental model.

The main outcome measures were the analysis of the density of nerve fibers and the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the induced endometriotic lesions and eutopic endometrium, both by immunohistochemical methods that detected the protein gene product 9.5 and NGF. The greatest nerve fiber densities were seen in the basal layer of eutopic endometrium and in the normal myometrium, whereas for separately analyzed eutopic (basal) endometrium, myometrium, and for both invasive and non-invasive nodular lesions. Interestingly, there was no statistically significant difference in the density of nerve fibers between invasive and non-invasive lesions or between glands of deep invasive lesions and those of eutopic baboon endometrium. On the other hand, NGF staining in the glands of deep invasive lesions was significantly more intense than that of the eutopic baboon endometrium.

The study's importance is the first to document the presence of nerve fibers in the eutopic baboon endometrium and induced deep endometriotic nodules, supporting long-term studies. However, it is to be studied if nerves keep growing into the lesion for a period of six months post-grafting in both cases, invasive and non-invasive, and therefore further investigate the role of the environment of the lesion. This study emphasizes the promise of the baboon model for simulating deep nodular endometriosis in humans in studies on the presence of nerve fibers and expression of NGF. It provides valuable insight, therefore, into the pathology of this disease and its mechanisms of pain.

Reference

1. Olivier Donnez, M.D., et al. " Nerve fiber density in deep nodular endometriotic lesions induced in a baboon experimental model." Fertility and Sterility. (2013)