Fig. 3

Establishment of a rat IUA model. a General surgery procedures. Rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 10% chloral hydrate (300 mg/kg), and a vertical incision was made in the lower abdomen to expose the uterine horns. The uterine wall (approximately 0.2 cm) was excised 0.5 cm from the left uterine horn, and then mechanical damage of the upper 1.5–2.0 cm of the endometrium was generated with spoon scratching until the inner membrane had a rough feeling. Finally, the rectus fascia and skin were sealed with a 4-0 nylon suture. b Schematic representation of the in-vivo IUA model set up. Three 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned as the intrauterine adhesion (IUA) group with mechanical damage in the left uterin cavity; the other side of the uterine cavity was assigned as the control sham group (n = 3). Two weeks after surgery, the rats were sacrificed and the uterus was dissected for histological examination. c H&E staining of the IUA endometrium compared with the sham control group. Scale bar = 200 μm. d Statistical results of endometrial gland number in sham control and IUA rat uterine cavity. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Student’s t test, n = 3; ***P < 0.001. e Masson staining of the IUA endometrium compared with the sham control group. f Statistical results of the percentage of endometrial fibrotic area in rat uterine cavity. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Student’s t test, n = 3; ***P < 0.001