Preliminary study on the effects of carbon dioxide and nitrogen pneumoperitoneums on endometriotic lesions

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) and nitrogen (N(2)) pneumoperitoneums on endometriosis (EMs) lesions. METHODS: Female Wistar rats were randomized into the following 3 groups: CO(2) (N = 20), N(2) (N = 22) and air pneumoperitoneums (N = 9). After 5 weeks of establishment models, do the pneumoperitoneums. Then measure the size of EMs lesions and the related factors of serum and tissue after 1, 2, and 4 weeks of pneumoperitoneums. RESULTS: (1) One week after the pneumoperitoneum was established, the EMs lesions in the CO(2) group were largest in volume, whereas at 4 weeks the EMs lesions in the CO(2) group were smaller than the N(2) group. (2) The level of ICAM-1 and TIMP-2 of serum in CO(2) and N(2) group after 2 weeks of pneumoperitoneum were higher than air group. (3) The expression of CD44v6, ICAM-1, MMP-2 and VEGF of tissue in CO(2) and N(2) group after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of pneumoperitoneum were lower than air group, TIMP-2 and ENS were higher than air group. CONCLUSION: After a CO(2) pneumoperitoneum, EMs lesions were reduced in volume, suggesting an inhibitory effect on EMs lesions.