ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to explore the effect and mechanism of Bushen Huoxue recipe (BHR) on ovarian reserve in mice with premature ovarian failure (POF). Mice were divided into 3 groups: normal group, model group and BHR group. Intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide was performed to create the POF model. Primordial follicular (PDF) number, ovarian wet weight, ovarian index, and estrous cycle were analyzed to evaluate the effect of BHR on POF. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein level of Mouse Vasa Homologue (MVH) in the bone marrow, peripheral blood and ovary were detected, to explore the underlying mechanism of the treatment efficacy of BHR on ovarian reserve. By the time of BHR treatment for 28 days, BHR increased the PDF number and shortened the estrous cycle of POF mice. BHR also decreased the mRNA level of MVH in the bone marrow, and increased mRNA and protein level of MVH in the ovary of POF mice. Our results demonstrated a treatment efficacy of BHR on POF mice, and revealed that BHR might repair the dysfunction of germline stem cells in the bone marrow, and thus to improve the ovarian reserve and enhance the ovarian function of POF mice through neo-oogenesis.
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Humans , Mice , Bone Marrow , Metabolism , Cyclophosphamide , Toxicity , Disease Models, Animal , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Estrous Cycle , Gene Expression Regulation , Ovarian Follicle , Ovarian Reserve , Primary Ovarian Insufficiency , Drug Therapy , PathologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Guishen Pill (GSP) on expression levels of Oct-4, MVH, and Egr-1 in mice with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 40 female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, the normal control group, the model group, the GSP group, and the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) group, 10 in each group. Pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) were sequentially administrated to produce superovulation. The DOR model was established by exposing to ozone inhalation. Mice in the GSP group were intragastrically administered with GSP at 0.3 mL. Those in the DHEA group were intragastrically administered with DHEA at 0.3 mL. Equal volume of normal saline was intragastrically administered to mice in the normal control group and the model group. All mice wer treated for 21 days. Serum levels of estrogen (E2), progestogen (P), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) were measured by ELISA. Changes of Oct-4, anti-AMH, and early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1) mRNA in ovaries were dtected by Real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model group, serum levels of E2, P, and AMH, as well as contents of estrogen receptor (ER), progestogen receptor (PR), MVH, and Oct-4 mRNA significantly increased in the GSP group and the DHEA group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GSP could improve expression levels of Oct-4, MVH, and Egr-1 mRNA in DOR mice and their ovarian function.</p>