Hendy Hendarto - Ph.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University/Dr Soetomo Hospital Surabaya, Indonesia
Muhammad Yohanes Ardianta Widyanugraha - M.D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University/Dr Soetomo Hospital Surabaya, Indonesia
Widjiati Vidjiati - Ph.D. Laboratory of Embriology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia

Background: Peritoneal fluid (PF) from infertile women with endometriosis containsinflammatory mediators that may interfere with folliculogenesis.Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effects of curcumin on growth factorsexpression by evaluating Growth Differentiation Factor-9 (GDF-9), Kit Ligand (KitL),and Tumor Necrosis Factor a (TNFa) expressions in bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes(COC)s cultured with PF from infertile women with endometriosis.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 21 infertile women (aged between20 and 40 years) who refered to Dr Sutomo Hospital from January to July 2015were enrolled. COCs were aspirated from antral follicles of bovine ovaries. PF wascollected from infertile women with endometriosis undergoing laparoscopy for infertilityevaluation. Curcumin, a strong anti-inflammatory turmeric, was added in Tissue CultureMedium 199 (TCM199) and PF for culture medium. Bovine COCs were cultured into threegroups of the medium: 1. TCM199, 2. TCM199 + PF, and 3. TCM199 + PF + curcumin. GDF-9, KitL, and TNFa expressions were examined using immunohistochemistry technique.Results: GDF-9 expression of bovine COCs cultured in PF with curcumin addition(2.67 ± 0.98) was found to increase compared to those cultured without curcumin(0.50 ± 0.67) (p ≤ 0.001). It was similar to KitL expression of bovine COCs culturedwith curcumin (2.67 ± 1.23), which increased compared to those without curcumin(0.33 ± 0.49) (p ≤ 0.001). A significant difference in TNFa expression was notedbetween groups with or without curcumin (p ≤ 0.001).Conclusion: In the culture of PF from infertile women with endometriosis, curcuminaddition improves the growth factors expression of bovine COCs. The increase of GDF-9 and KitL expressions will improve folliculogenesis.

Curcumin, Bovine, GDF9, Kit Ligand, TNFa, Endometriosis