Comparison of the role of Klf9 and Klf11 in an animal endometriosis model.

(A) Endometriotic Lesions (circled) in Klf9-/- animals were either unchanged or had regressed in size from the time of initial peritoneal implantation, when evaluated at necropsy 3 weeks later. (B) Endometriotic lesions in these animals also did not elicit a progressive fibrotic response as seen in Klf11-/- animals. Any adhesions in Klf9-/- animals (black arrow) were flimsy, transparent and peri-lesional in extent. (C) Tissue planes were unaltered with preservation of intra-abdominal anatomy. Consequently, intestinal length was not foreshortened due to lack of mesenteric fibrosis (unraveled intestinal loops denoted by white arrows). (D): A composite adhesion score for each mouse was determined and compared between Klf11-/-, Klf9-/- and wildtype genotypes, based on the Murine Adhesion Scoring System. The adhesion score for Klf11-/- mice (81.7±4.8) was significantly different from that calculated in either Klf9-/- (12.3±1.8) or wildtype animals (9.17±0.8); (* = p<0.05, 14 lesions/genotype). The scores objectively reflected observed anatomical findings in these animals.