Thalidomide in the treatment of endometriosis pain: A scoping review of experimental studies

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21527/2176-7114.2024.48.14845

Keywords:

Pain, Pain management, Endometriosis

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the applicability of thalidomide in the treatment of pain induced by endometriosis in animals. A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute method and adhering to PRISMA – ScR standards. Searches were performed in six electronic databases using specific descriptors and keywords, employing a Boolean search strategy aimed at retrieving studies on endometriosis, pain, pain management, and thalidomide. The study included data from studies conducted in Iran (n = 1, 50%) and Turkey (n = 1, 50%). All articles (n = 2; 100%) were published in English within the past decade. In studies comparing thalidomide to placebo, a significant reduction in inflammatory factors was observed, which correlated directly with improved clinical outcomes in pain management. This reduction provided additional benefits, including reduced levels of growth factors and regulation of the metalloproteinase (MPP) cycle. The review of studies revealed the anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of thalidomide, suggesting its potential as a viable option for pain management. However, the existing literature on thalidomide for this purpose remains limited.

References

Azimirad A, Alborzi S, Kumar PV, Zolghadri J, Zarei A, Tavana Z, et al. Thalidomide affects experimental endometriosis: a randomized controlled study in the rat. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2014;40(8):1.989-1.997. DOI: 10.1111/jog.12434.

Chen FY, Wang X, Tang RY, Guo ZX, Deng YZJ, Yu Q. New therapeutic approaches for endometriosis besides hormonal therapy. Chin Med J (Engl). 2019;132(24):2.984-2.993. DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000000569.

Valerio FP. Influence of doxycycline on experimentally induced endometriosis in rats [dissertation]. Ribeirão Preto: University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto; 2018 [cited 2023 Jul. 13]. DOI:10.11606/D.17.2018.tde-19072018-115724.

Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations. Endometriosis. Protocolo Febrasgo Ginecologia. 2021 [cited 2023 Jul. 13];(78):1-16. Available from: https://sogirgs.org.br/area-do-associado/Endometriose-2021.pdf.

Antônio LGL, Rosa-e-Silva JC, Machado DJ, Westin AT, Garcia SB, et al. Thalidomide reduces cell proliferation in experimentally induced endometriosis in rats. Rev Bras Ginecol and Obstet. 2019;41(11):668-672. DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-3399551.

Maddern J, Grundy L, Castro J, Brierley SM. Pain in endometriosis. Front Cell Neurosci. 2020;14:590823. DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.590823.

Gruber TM, Mechsner S. Pathogenesis of endometriosis: the origin of pain and subfertility. Cells. 2021;10(6):1.381. DOI: 10.3390/cells10061381.

Silva HM, Melo HCS. Talidomida: aspectos históricos e atuais de seu uso no Brasil. Rev Saúde Educ. 2018;3(1):109-123.

Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O'Brien K, Colquhoun H, Kastner M, et al. A scoping review on the conduct and reporting of scoping reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2016;16:15. DOI: 10.1186/s12874-016-0116-4.

Peters MDJ, Godfrey C, McInerney P, Munn Z, Tricco AC, Khalil H. Scoping reviews. In: Aromataris E, Munn Z, editors. JBI manual for evidence synthesis. Adelaide: JBI; 2020.

Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O'Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med 2018;169(7):467-473. DOI: 10.7326/M18-0850.

McGowan J, Straus S, Moher D, Langlois EV, O'Brien KK, Horsley T, et al. Reporting scoping reviews-PRISMA ScR extension. J Clin Epidemiol. 2020;123:177-179. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.03.016.

Bakacak M, Ercan Ö, Köstü B, Bostancı MS, İnanç F, Yaylalı A, et al. The effects of thalidomide in a rat model of surgically-induced endometriosis. Turk J Obstet Gynecol. 2015;12(3):125-131. DOI: 10.4274/tjod.71601.

Published

2024-04-08

How to Cite

de Souza, I. B. J., Lima, R. A., Frota, G. M., Ribeiro, F. S., Costa, B. M., de Souza, S. B. J., Cartágenes, M. do S. . de S., & Garcia, J. B. S. (2024). Thalidomide in the treatment of endometriosis pain: A scoping review of experimental studies. Context and Health Journal, 24(48), e14845. https://doi.org/10.21527/2176-7114.2024.48.14845

Issue

Section

REVIEW ARTICLE