A paper presented at the 121st Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society showed, for the first time, evidence of the negative consequences of stress in the progression of endometriosis. The researchers behind the study speculate that the worsening symptoms are most likely because of stress' effects on the immune system. In the US, endometriosis affects approximately six million women and adolescents. It is a chronic disease which occurs when endometrial tissues grow as lesions outside the uterus, mainly in the area of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. The condition results in chronic pelvic pain, painful menstrual periods and pain during intercourse.
The researchers note that many patients report suffering from high levels of stress due to the impact that endo has on all aspects of their life. For example, the physical pain they experience during intercourse can disrupt a healthy sexual relationship, thus causing anguish and discord which leads to further stress. Now, a new study investigating the relationship between stress and the painful symptoms of endo is underway.
The study was conducted by an interdisciplinary team of investigators with expertise in endometriosis, animal physiology and behavior. The researchers exposed endo-induced rats to stressful situations and then examined them for the presence of endometriotic vesicles (small structures inside cells used to transport liquids such as proteins), and damage to the adjacent organs. They found that:
- The rats that were not exposed to stressful situations had a total vesicle length that averaged 6.57mm per animal.
- The stressed group developed a total vesicle length that averaged 11.26mm per animal.
- Additionally, the endo-stress rats had the shortest colon length, the greatest number of colonic mast cells, and an increase in peritoneal fluid immune cell infiltration, all indicative of activation of inflammatory mechanisms.
"These findings contribute to our understanding of how stress may affect the severity of endometriosis. We think there is likely a connection with the immune system because of the observed levels of mast cells in the colon and the increased levels of inflammatory cells in the peritoneum of the affected rats, since this has also been observed in patients with endometriosis. The results offer a jumping off point to help identify stress-management interventions that will help those women who are affected by the disease," noted the senior researcher for the study, Dr. Caroline Appleyard.
Related:
Endometriosis Associated With Range Of Diseases
Endometriosis Risk Linked To Diet?
Angiostatic Therapy Proposed For Treating Endometriosis
Report Slams Doctors Over Slow Endo Diagnosis
Source: American Physiological Society
