1. Dioxin may promote inflammation-related development of endometriosis
Kaylon L. Bruner-Tran, Ph.D., Grant R. Yeaman, Ph.D., Marta A. Crispens, M.D., Toshio M. Igarashi, M.D., Ph.D., Kevin G. Osteen, Ph.D. 
Fertility and Sterility 
Volume 89, Issue 5, Pages (May 2008)
DOI: /j.fertnstert
Copyright © 2008 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

2. Figure 1
Chemical structure of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). TCDD is made of two aromatic rings (green) joined through a pair of oxygen atoms (red) with four chlorine atoms (yellow) attached at positions 2, 3, 7, and 8. Four hydrogen atoms are shown in blue.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2008 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

3. Figure 2
Western analysis of progesterone receptor A (PR-A) and PR-B expression in normal proliferative endometrial stromal cells. Stromal cells were cultured 5 days in the presence of epithelial cells and treated with 1 nM estradiol and 0-10 nM TCDD with or without interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. Isoforms of PR were detected using a single murine monoclonal antibody (PgR1294).
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2008 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

4. Figure 3
Experimental endometriosis established in nude mice: gross appearance of experimental endometriosis 24 hours after injection of (A) normal proliferative endometrium treated with 1 nM estradiol, (B) estradiol-treated tissue from a woman with endometriosis, or (C) endometrium from a normal woman treated with estradiol and TCDD before injection.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2008 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

5. Figure 4
Immunohistochemical localization of endoglin in (A) normal secretory human endometrium and (B) ectopic endometrium removed during the secretory phase from a patient with endometriosis. (C, D) Endoglin is present in human endometrium growing as ectopic lesions in nude mice. Tissues in (C) were treated with 1 nM estrogen and 500 nM progesterone before injection into mice. Tissues in (D) were treated with estrogen + progesterone and 10 nM TCDD before injection. (Magnification: ×200.)
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2008 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

6. Figure 5
Gross and microscopic photomicrographs of experimental endometriosis in nude mice at 10 days. Experimental disease was established using human endometrium from a disease-free donor. (A, C, E) Organ cultures were maintained for 24 hours with 1 nM estrogen and 500 nM progesterone or (B, D, F) estrogen–progesterone (EP) + 10 nM TCDD before introduction into mice. A and B show gross appearance; note the larger more vascularized lesion established by TCDD-exposed tissue (B) compared with a lesion established after EP-only treatment (A). Low-power micrographs (×40) show the different histologic appearance of the lesion established by the EP-treated tissue (C) compared with the lesion established by the TCDD-exposed tissue (D). Epithelial glands [E] are present in both lesions (C, D). Lesions established by EP-treated tissues (C) but not EP + TCDD–treated tissues (D) show clusters of mononuclear cells [MC]. These are seen at higher magnification in E (×200) and the insert (×400), and are morphologically consistent with lymphocytes. The gland lumens in lesions established by EP-treated tissues (C) but not EP + TCDD–treated tissues (D) contain neutrophils, determined by immunofluorescent staining to be of human origin (not shown). Frequently associated with capillaries, neutrophils are more abundant in the stroma of the TCDD-treated tissues (F, insert, ×400; indicated by arrows) and are largely of murine origin.
Fertility and Sterility  , DOI: ( /j.fertnstert )
Copyright © 2008 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions