Introduction: Endometriosis is defined as the growth of gland and stroma of endometrium out side of uterus in ectopic places.
Disturbances in immune system has an important role in the development and specially infertility of this disease.
It seems that inflammatory cytokines and specially TNF-a which produced by activated macrophages have an important role in pathology of endometriosis.
TNF-a increases matrix metaloproteinases (MMPs) which is a cause of adhesion of endometrial cell to mesothelial all.
TNF-a is also toxic for sperm and embryo. Based on this theory, anti TNF-a drugs were introduced as a new drug for this disease. Pentoxifylline is one of this group of drugs.
In order to determine of the effect of this drug (pentoxifylline) on the growth of endometrial implants and WBC count in serum and peritoneum, this experimental study was done on female rats.
Material and Method: In proesterous phase, endometriosis was induced surgically in female rats. Under peritoneal (ip) anesthesia. One horn of rat's bicorn uterus was removed and the endometrium was separated from underlying myometrium and implanted to different places (subcutaneous, peritoneum, near ovaries)
After 2 months, female rats divided in two groups randomly. In treated group (n=11) pentoxifylline was injected subcutaneously in 5mg/kg for 2 weeks and in control group (n=9) normal saline in the same dose was injected. Then second laparotomy was performed and the size of implants and the amount of WBC in serum and peritoneum were measured.
Results: In treated group with pentoxifylline significantly the size of implants in right subcutaneous (p=0.01) in left subcutaneous (p= 0.01) and right ovary (p= 0.001) and left ovary (p= 0.005) were decreased.
In addition, in treated group with pentoxifylline the total count of WBC (P=0.02) and neutrophiles (P=0.000) in serum were decreased the and total count of lymphocytes (P=0.003) in serum were increased.
There wasn't any significant changes in the total count of WBC in peritoneum in both groups. The number of Eseterous cycles in both groups were similar.
Conclusion and discussion: Based on our study, Pentoxifylline could decrease the size of endometrial implants and total WBC count in serum. By increasing in lymphocyte count and with decreasing in neutrophile count in serum, Pentoxifylline could alter the immune system and perhaps, it could change cytokine production in rats. Pentoxifylline didn’t have any adverse effect on rat’s cycles. Therefore the ovaries could continue their function and this was a good aspect of treatment with Pentoxifylline.