Endometriosis · Medical Management

Fisetin, a Natural Polyphenol, Ameliorates Endometriosis Modulating Mast Cells Derived NLRP-3 Inflammasome Pathway and Oxidative Stress

Arangia A, Marino Y, Fusco R, Siracusa R, Cordaro M, D'Amico R, Macrì F, Raffone E, Impellizzeri D, Cuzzocrea S, Di Paola R

Published March 7, 2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(6), 5076
DOI 10.3390/ijms24065076 PMID 36982152 PMC PMC10049430

RRM Academy Synopsis

Fisetin reduced endometriosis lesion size in rats in a lab study

Fisetin reduced the size of endometriosis lesions in rats, a laboratory study found. Researchers induced endometriosis in female rats and gave some of them fisetin by mouth for a week. Fisetin is a plant compound found in strawberries and apples. Treated rats also had fewer mast cells and less inflammation and oxidative stress in lesion tissue.

Key Findings

  • Lesion diameter, area and volume were smaller in fisetin-treated rats than in vehicle-treated rats. The number of cysts did not differ noticeably between the two groups.
  • Fisetin-treated lesions had fewer mast cells (immune cells involved in inflammation), lower chymase and tryptase staining, and lower myeloperoxidase activity, a marker of neutrophil infiltration.
  • Lesions from fisetin-treated rats showed less collagen and lower expression of alpha smooth muscle actin and transforming growth factor beta, markers of fibrosis.
  • Fisetin lowered the inflammasome proteins NLRP3, ASC and cleaved caspase-1 and nuclear NF-κB in lesion tissue. It also lowered IL-1β and TNF-α in peritoneal fluid.
  • Fisetin lowered the oxidative stress markers nitrotyrosine, PAR and MDA and increased apoptosis, with lower Bcl-2 and higher Bax and caspase 3.

Interpretation

Researchers gave female rats endometriosis by placing uterine tissue in the belly, in a rat study. They then compared a fisetin group with a vehicle group and a sham group, and examined the lesions 14 days later. The authors suggest fisetin could become a new treatment, working through mast cells and oxidative stress. The findings support larger studies of fisetin in endometriosis, including future human trials.

RRM Context

The authors note that oral contraceptives and anti-inflammatory drugs are first-line therapy. They add that many patients still show pelvic and lesion enlargement. RRM treats endometriosis as a disease with a root cause. Excision is the surgical standard for removing lesions. Research on mast cells, fibrosis and oxidative stress describes the biology inside those lesions.

Abstract

A chronic, painful, and inflammatory condition known as endometriosis is defined by the extra-uterine development of endometrial tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effects of fisetin, a naturally occurring polyphenol that is frequently present in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Uterine fragments were injected intraperitoneally to cause endometriosis, and fisetin was given orally every day. At 14 days of treatment, laparotomy was performed, and the endometrial implants and peritoneal fluids were collected for histological, biochemical, and molecular analyses. Rats subjected to endometriosis presented important macroscopic and microscopic changes, increased mast cell (MC) infiltration, and fibrosis. Fisetin treatment reduced endometriotic implant area, diameter, and volumes, as well as histological alterations, neutrophil infiltration, cytokines release, the number of MCs together with the expression of chymase and tryptase, and diminished α smooth muscle actin (α-sma) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF β) expressions. In addition, fisetin was able to reduce markers of oxidative stress as well as nitrotyrosine and Poly ADP ribose expressions and increase apoptosis in endometrial lesions. In conclusion, fisetin could represent a new therapeutic strategy to control endometriosis perhaps by targeting the MC-derived NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway and oxidative stress.

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Endometriosis › Medical Management › Pain Management · Therapeutics › Supplements and Botanicals › Herbal and Botanical Products · General Gynecology › Pelvic Pain › Chronic Pelvic Pain
Alessia Arangia, Ylenia Marino, Roberta Fusco, Rosalba Siracusa, Marika Cordaro, Ramona D'Amico, Francesco Macrì, Emanuela Raffone, Daniela Impellizzeri, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Rosanna Di Paola
A Arangia, Y Marino, R Fusco, R Siracusa, M Cordaro, R D'Amico, F Macrì, E Raffone, D Impellizzeri, S Cuzzocrea, R Paola
PMID 36982152 36982152 DOI 10.3390/ijms24065076 10.3390/ijms24065076 Arangia et al. 2023, Arangia 2023