Activity of oxidative processes in rat endometritis

Abstract

Summary. The challenge of treating endometritis is associated primarily with the difficulty of timely differential diagnosis and the absence of distinct clinical and laboratory criteria. Women with a history of chronic endometritis, even with a pregravid preparation, constitute a high-risk group for the development of obstetric and perinatal complications caused by intrauterine infection. The pathogens are primarily microorganisms that affect the cylindrical epithelium of cervical canal, gonococci, chlamydia, myco- and ureaplasmas, which impair protective properties of the cervical mucus and facilitate the spread of ascending infection. The aim of the study was experimental searching for significant and reliable laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of endometritis. Methods. Experiments were performed on Wistar female rats weighing 180-200 g. Animals were divided into the groups of intact animals and experimental animals with endometritis induced by retrograde injection of auto feces suspension into the uterine cavity by douching. Markers of oxidative processes included products of lipid peroxidation (LP) (triene and diene conjugates and Schiff bases) and protein oxidation (protein carbonyls) in rat plasma. Results. Plasma concentrations of initial and final LP products as well as of neutral and basic carbonylated proteins were increased in rats with experimental endometritis. Conclusion. The observed effect of experimental endometritis was apparently due to increased production of reactive oxygen species by the bacterial flora administered into the rat uterine cavity. In addition, this effect could result from the protective response of neutrophils to antigenic agents. Apparently, both LP products and oxidation-modified proteins damage cell membranes including endometrial membranes, which may cause reproductive disorders, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. In future, after clinical studies, these indexes could be used to enhance objective and early laboratory diagnosis of endometritis.