Effects of lactoferrin and progesterone on the endometriotic lesion in a female rat model
Asian Biomedicine, cilt.20, sa.3, ss.161-169, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 20 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.2478/abm-2026-0019
- Dergi Adı: Asian Biomedicine
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.161-169
- Anahtar Kelimeler: animal models, endometriosis, lactoferrin, oxidative stress, progesterone
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Uşak Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein of the transferrin family, exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disease commonly treated with progesterone therapy; however, progesterone receptor (PGR) resistance in endometriotic lesions has increased interest in immunomodulatory approaches. Objective: To evaluate the effects of LF alone and combined with progesterone on endometriotic lesions in a rat model. Methods: An endometriosis model was induced in female Wistar Albino rats. Rats with confirmed endometriotic lesions were randomly divided into 4 equal groups and received the following oral treatments: Control (0.5% carboxymethylcellulose), bovine LF (bLF) (100 mg/kg/d), progesterone (0.3 mg/kg/day), combination therapy (bLF [100 mg/kg/d] + progesterone [0.3 mg/kg/d]). After treatment, the rats were euthanized, histopathological and biochemically anayses were done. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in volume and adhesion scores of endometriotic lesions before and after treatment (P = 0.653, P = 0.413, P = 0.890, respectively). However, PGR and inflammatory cytocine levels were decreased in all treatment groups (P = 0.001). Although serum progesterone levels did not differ between groups (P = 0.06), serum LF levels were lower in the progesterone-only group (P = 0.001). Total antioxidant status (TAS) and Plasma total oxidant status (TOS) showed no significant differences among groups (P = 0.623 and P = 0.318, respectively). Conclusion: LF, alone or combined with progesterone, reduced inflammatory cytokine levels associated with endometriosis-related pain, suggesting potential therapeutic value. Further studies are needed to clarify its role in progesterone resistance and the clinical management of endometriosis.