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. 2020 Jan 14;9:e50356. doi: 10.7554/eLife.50356

Figure 4. Effects of THC on the histological changes observed in mice with ectopic endometrium.

(a) Ectopic endometrial growths of mice treated with THC were smaller (left graph) and had less endometrial tissue (right graph) than those of mice receiving vehicle. Scale bar = 1 mm. (b) THC increased innervation in sham mice but prevented uterine hyperinnervation in endometriosis mice. Blue is DAPI and white is β-III tubulin. Scale bar = 100 μm. (c) As expected, 17-β estradiol levels were higher in mice in proestrus (left). Estrogen levels were similar in all experimental conditions (right). (d) There was a positive correlation between cyst diameter and plasma levels of 17-β estradiol (left, r = 0.450). Absence of correlation of estrogen levels with cyst endometrial area (middle, r = 0.263) and uterine innervation (right, r = 0.039). THC dose: 2 mg/kg/day. Error bars are mean ± SEM. Student t-test (a, left graph), Mann Whitney U (a, right graph), two-way ANOVA + Bonferroni (b), mixed model + Bonferroni (c, left); Two-way ANOVA (c, right) and Pearson correlation (d). *p<0.05, **p<0.01 vs sham. +p<0.05, ++p<0.01 vs vehicle. ^p<0.05, ^^p<0.01 vs proestrus. Endo, endometriosis; THC, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

Figure 4—source data 1. Effects of repeated THC on histopathological features.
elife-50356-fig4-data1.xlsx (148.3KB, xlsx)

Figure 4.

Figure 4—figure supplement 1. Histological features of reproductive tissues after chronic THC treatment.

Figure 4—figure supplement 1.

(a) Cyst innervation was unaffected by THC. Blue is DAPI and white is β-III tubulin. Scale bar = 100 μm. (b) Uterine diameter and area of endometrial tissue were similar among the groups. Scale bar = 1 mm. (c) Number of preantral follicles, antral follicles and corpora lutea were unchanged after endometriosis or THC treatment. Error bars are mean ± SEM. Student t-test (a) and two-way ANOVA (b and c). Endo, endometriosis; THC, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol.