Elevated NF-κB signaling in Asherman syndrome patients and animal models

// Xiangzhen Wang 1, 2 , Nana Ma 3 , Qiannan Sun 4 , Chenlingzi Huang 1 , Yanmei Liu 5 , Xin Luo 1 1 The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510630 2 Nanshan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, 518052 3 The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang medical college of Henan, Xinxiang, Henan, China, 453100 4 Changzhi City People’s Hospital of Shanxin Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Changzhi, Shanxi, China, 046000 5 Huadu District, Guangzhou City People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510630 Correspondence to: Xiangzhen Wang, email: 1093456531@qq.com Xin Luo, email: tluox@126.com Keywords: NF-κB, Asherman syndrome, intrauterine adhesion, pregnancy, uterine disease Received: October 09, 2016 Accepted: January 09, 2017 Published: January 27, 2017 ABSTRACT Asherman syndrome (intrauterine adhesion) is often associated with menstrual abnormalities, infertility and recurrent miscarriage in female. Currently the molecular mechanism regulating the pathogenesis of Asherman syndrome is not known. Here we revealed that the inflammatory factor NF-κB expression is significantly elevated in the endometrial samples of Asherman syndrome patients. To further study the molecular mechanisms, we established an Asherman syndrome rat model and confirmed the important role of NF-κB in the pathogenesis of Asherman syndrome. In addition, our rat model provided direct evidence that intrauterine adhesion results in impaired pregnancy, supporting the clinical association between intrauterine adhesion and mis-regulated pregnancy. Our result identified NF-κB as a novel pathogenesis factor of Asherman syndrome and provided new insights for the prevention and treatment of intrauterine adhesions in Asherman syndrome patients.