Endometriosis in Four Irradiated Rhesus Monkeys

Abstract

Four Rliesus monkeys that had been irradiated at 1 year of age and developed extensive endometriosis of the pelvic and peritoneal cavities 7 years later. Endometriosis was characterized by aggressive viable nonanaplastic endometrial epithelial cells in ectopic sites throughout the genital organs. Theories of pathogenesis for man may not be valid for nonhuman primates. Retrograde flow of endometrial fragments via the oviducfs may be the source of the extrauterine lesions since in monkeys I , 2, and 4 the ovaries were in the main extrauterine masses. Whether the extrauterine endometrium is metaplastic or metastatic, there is little doubt that endometriosis is linked to the cyclic hormones of the female's reproductive cycle. The cases reported occurred at 8 years of age, and the deaths may illustrate shortening or life as a latent effect of irradiation.

Endometriosis in rhesus monkeys

“…Endometriosis in irradiated rhesus monkeys was also found by Splitter, Kirk, Mackenzie & Rawlings (1972) and Kliiver & Bartelmez (1951). Most of our cases were found in animals which had been subjected in the past to Caesarean sections (6 of 9).…”

“…Endometriosis has been found in rhesus monkeys (Fraser, 1929, Kluver & Bartelmez, 1951, McClure, Graham & Guilloud, 1969, McCann & Meyers, 1970, Splitter, Kirk, Mackenzie & Rawlings, 1972. The pathogenesis is not completely understood.…”

Massive Endometriosis in Two Rhesus Monkeys

“…Except for a few spontaneous endometriosis [8], most cases in rhesus monkeys have been thought to be the sequela of hysterotomy or chronic effects of irradiation [1,3,6,7,[9][10][11][12]. Present two cases, however, were free from these treatment at least for 9years as far as we are concerned.…”

“…Endometriosis is not uncommon in rhesus monkeys, and it has been reported as a sequela to hysterotomy with additional effects of ovarian steroids [1,3,4,6,9,10] and as a latent effect of irradiation [1,6,7,9,11,12] . In most of the reported cases in rhesus monkeys, the lesion was limited to the wall of pelvic organs [1,3,[6][7][8][9][10]12] . The severe cases presented in this report are of particular interest due to widespread disseminationn of the endometrial tissues without prier histories of uterotomy nor irradiation.…”

Contraception in the cosmos: the combined oral contraceptive pill in space

“…Female astronauts may already be predisposed to endometriosis due to the high levels of radiation encountered in space. Studies using irradiated monkeys have identified radiation as a predisposing factor for the development of endometriosis [20][21][22][23] and in the 1970s NASA found this evidence sufficiently compelling to prohibit females with any history of endometriosis from becoming astronauts. 18 Dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia or endometriosis in a female astronaut in space could prevent her from fulfilling her duties 6 and potentially jeopardise the success of a mission.…”