Paper Number
PO7 

Session
Poster Session

Title
Quantifying enzymatic degradation of uterine fibroid tissue using rheology

Presentation Date and Time
October 11, 2017 (Wednesday) 6:30

Track / Room
Poster Session / Cripple Creek Ballroom

Authors (Click on name to view author profile)

1. Corder, Ria D. (North Carolina State University, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)
2. Vachieri, Robert B. (North Carolina Central University, Chemistry and Biochemistry)
3. Taylor, Darlene K. (North Carolina Central University, Chemistry and Biochemistry)
4. Gadi, Sashi R. (North Carolina State University, Population Health and Pathobiology)
5. Cullen, John M. (North Carolina State University, Population Health and Pathobiology)
6. Jayes, Friederike L. (Duke University, Obstetrics and Gynecology)
7. Khan, Saad A. (North Carolina State University, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering)

Author and Affiliation Lines (in printed abstract book)
Ria D. Corder¹, Robert B. Vachieri², Darlene K. Taylor², Sashi R. Gadi³, John M. Cullen³, Friederike L. Jayes⁴, and Saad A. Khan^1
1Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; ²Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707; ³Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; ⁴Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710

Speaker / Presenter 
Corder, Ria D.

Text of Abstract
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors composed of altered, disordered, and crosslinked collagens which occur in 70-80% of women before age 50, and can interfere considerably with daily life by causing bleeding and pain. Fibroids are the leading cause for hysterectomy, and $21 billion in healthcare expenditures are spent annually in the US for treatment and management of this disease. Fertility-preserving treatment options, such as hormone or drug therapies, are currently limited in effectiveness. Highly purified collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) has received FDA approval for two medical indications involving digestion of interstitial collagens to reduce tissue stiffness. A previous ex-vivo study on posthysterectomy fibroid samples provided proof-of-principle evidence that CCH can digest collagens within uterine fibroids. In this study, we used dynamic rheology to quantify the degree of in-vivo degradation of uterine fibroid tissue, and then compared the rheology to histology. Fibroids were obtained from human women undergoing hysterectomies, surgically implanted into mice, and injected with either varying amounts of CCH in saline or a pure saline control. At set day intervals, fibroids were removed and bisected. Half of the sample was histologically stained and the other was frozen and saved for rheology. Fibroids were measured while under immersion in saline using 8mm crosshatched top and bottom plates on a DHR-3 rheometer. To evaluate repeatability and optimize measurement conditions, chicken breast meat was used as a model tissue. We show that comparisons can be made between bulk rheological measurements and tissue physiology. The role of enzymatic hydrolysis time on tissue rheology and physiology will also be discussed.