Language

English

Publication Date

3-1-2025

Journal

Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

DOI

10.4236/ojog.2025.153033

PMID

40895506

PMCID

PMC12392699

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

8-29-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Abstract

Vaginal fibrosis induced by cancer therapy continues to take a physical and psychoemotional burden. To advance the efforts to generate a reproducible and cost-effective animal model, we tested the effect of repeated bleomycin instillations with mucosal layer disruption on induction of vaginal fibrosis. Tissue samples collected at various time points were analyzed for fibrosis-related gene expression changes and collagen content. Low (1.5 U/kg) and high-dose (2.5 U/kg) bleomycin instillations alone did not induce fibrosis, but when high-dose bleomycin was combined with epithelial disruption, increased profibrotic gene expression and trichrome staining were observed. To evaluate spatial and temporal changes in the ECM structure and gene expression, tissue samples were collected at 1 day, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks after bleomycin and epithelial disruption. Data analyses revealed a significant decrease in matrix metabolizing genes and an increase in pro-fibrotic genes and inhibitors of matrix metabolizing genes in the bleomycin plus epithelial disruption group at 3 weeks. Elevated levels of the profibrotic genes

Keywords

Vagina, Fibrosis, Wound Healing, Collagen, Hyaluronan, Epithelial Disruption

Published Open-Access

yes

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