{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,13]],"date-time":"2026-03-13T05:48:53Z","timestamp":1773380933779,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,5]],"date-time":"2025-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759622400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100016971","name":"Lomonosov MSU","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100016971","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100006769","name":"RSF","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["19-75-30007P"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["19-75-30007P"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100006769","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Recent discovery of menstruation in the Egyptian spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) highlighted this species as a feasible model for the study of menstrual cycle physiology. However, reports on active menstrual bleeding in this animal were contradictory, so we set out to reproduce major findings in the field. Using vaginal smear microscopy and occult blood assay, we have failed to detect menstrual bleeding in spiny mice from our colony at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Otherwise, we demonstrated appearance of well-defined decidual cells during the late secretory phase of the cycle that correlated with an increase in serum progesterone. Comparing the uteri of spiny mice from our colony vs. CD1 strain laboratory mice housed in the same animal unit, we have found several noteworthy features: (1) absence of endometrial glands, (2) higher volume of nerve fibers in the endometrium, and (3) spiral-like arteries in myometrium. Taking results of other groups into account, our results highlight putative diversity of menstrual cycles in spiny mice from different colonies and demonstrate important differences in uterus structure compared to M. musculus.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology14101365","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,6]],"date-time":"2025-10-06T08:10:51Z","timestamp":1759738251000},"page":"1365","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Diversity of Menstrual Cycle, Formation of Decidual Cells, and Lack of Endometrial Glands in Spiny Mouse"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Roman","family":"Eremichev","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nina","family":"Nikolaeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-6153-2446","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mikhail","family":"Khandokhin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roman","family":"Tsvetcov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4946-7843","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Natalya","family":"Alexandrushkina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-6774-6306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alena","family":"Shilova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5039-7152","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vladimir","family":"Popov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8869-5190","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pavel","family":"Makarevich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1160","DOI":"10.1093\/biolre\/ioaa029","article-title":"Characteristics of the Endometrium in Menstruating Species: Lessons Learned from the Animal Kingdom","volume":"102","author":"Catalini","year":"2020","journal-title":"Biol. 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Update"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"40.e1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajog.2016.07.041","article-title":"First Evidence of a Menstruating Rodent: The Spiny Mouse (Acomys cahirinus)","volume":"216","author":"Bellofiore","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"453","DOI":"10.1530\/jrf.0.0610453","article-title":"The Oestrous Cycle of the Spiny Mouse (Acomys cahirinus)","volume":"61","author":"Peitz","year":"1981","journal-title":"J. Reprod. Fertil."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1715","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dey247","article-title":"Characterization of Human-like Menstruation in the Spiny Mouse: Comparative Studies with the Human and Induced Mouse Model","volume":"33","author":"Bellofiore","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hum. Reprod."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"197","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-cellbio-011723-021442","article-title":"Mechanisms of Regeneration and Fibrosis in the Endometrium","volume":"39","author":"Ang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eremichev, R., Kulebyakina, M., Alexandrushkina, N., Nimiritsky, P., Basalova, N., Grigorieva, O., Egiazaryan, M., Dyikanov, D., Tkachuk, V., and Makarevich, P. (2021). Scar-Free Healing of Endometrium: Tissue-Specific Program of Stromal Cells and Its Induction by Soluble Factors Produced After Damage. Front. Cell Dev. Biol., 9.","DOI":"10.3389\/fcell.2021.616893"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bellofiore, N., McKenna, J., Ellery, S., and Temple-Smith, P. (2021). The Spiny Mouse\u2014A Menstruating Rodent to Build a Bridge From Bench to Bedside. Front. Reprod. 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