ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of low?intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in promoting repair of cyclophosphamide (CTX)?induced ovarian injury in female rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty female SD rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide at 30 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days to induce premature ovarian failure. Successful modeling was achieved in 43 rats, which were then randomized into model group (21 rats) and treatment group (22 rats), with another 13 rats without any injections serving as the normal control group. The rats in the treatment group received low?intensity pulsed ultrasound treatment, and those in the other two groups received no interventions. The estrous cycle of the rats was monitored during the experiment, and all the rats were sacrificed 7 days after the treatment for analysis of serum estradiol (E), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), anti?Mullerian hormone (AMH), morphological changes of the ovary and the number of follicles.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with those in the normal control group, the rats in the model group showed disorders in the estrous cycle, reduced number of follicles at all levels, significantly decreased serum Eand AMH, and increased serum FSH following CTX injection (P=0.01). Ultrasound treatment obviously promoted the recovery of estrous cycle, significantly increased the number of follicles and serum E(P=0.01), and decreased FSH (P=0.01) in the rats with CTX?induced ovarian injury, but AMH showed no significant changes after ultrasound treatment (P=0.50).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Low?intensity pulsed ultrasound can promote the repair of the CTX?induced ovarian injury in SD rats.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a SD rat model of vulvar lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) and investigate the expression of protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2) in the genital skin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy female SD rats were randomly divided into group A (blank control group, n=10), group B (with application of acetone solution 3 times per week for 10 weeks, n=10), group C (with chronic mechanical irritation 3 times per week for 10 weeks, n=10), and group D (with topical treatment with 0.5= 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene [DMBA] in acetone solution and chronic mechanical irritation 3 times per week for 10 weeks, n=40). The changes of the genital skin changes were observed regularly and the expression of PAR2 in groups A and D was detected with immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qRT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In group D, LSC occurred in 23 rats (57.5=) at 8 weeks and in 38 rats (95=) at 10 weeks; 8 rats (20=) showed papilloma at 12 weeks. Acetone treatment or chronic mechanical irritation did not cause LSC in the rats. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qRT-PCR showed significantly increased expressions of PAR2 in group D at both the protein and mRNA levels as compared with those in group A (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>0.5= DMBA in acetone solution along with chronic mechanical irritation can induce LSC in female SD rats, and PAR2 is closely related with the occurrence and progression of LSC.</p>