Of berberine and puerarin on dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance in porcine ovarian thecal cells / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the direct contribution of dexamethasone (Dex) for insulin resistance inducing in thecal cells and effects of berberine (Ber) and puerarin (Pue).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ovarian thecal cells from porcine follicles were isolated and cultured in vitro. Insulin resistance of thecal cells was induced by Dex treatment for 48 h. Then the glucose utilization ratio of thecal cells was detected. Meanwhile, the effects of Ber and Pue on insulin signal transmission and steroid hormones synthesis were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) After being treated by Dex for 48 h, the [3-3H] -glucose uptake in cells was lowered by about half, and the glucose content in supernate increased for about 1/3. (2) The RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that levels of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), mRNA and protein expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) lowered, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor -gamma(PPARgamma) and cytochrome P450 17 hydroxylase (CYP17) mRNA or protein expression increased in the model cells. However, the changes of above insulin signal molecules and CYP17 expression were inversed significantly after treated with Ber and Pue for 48 h. (3) As compared with the control, in the model cells, levels of testosterone (T, microg/mL) was higher (0.82 +/- 0.20 vs 0.38 +/- 0.01, P < 0.05), while after Ber and Pue treatment it was 0.44 +/- 0.24 and 0.45 +/- 0.21 respectively, all lower than that in the model cells (P < 0.05). No significant change of serum progesterone was found in all groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>After insulin resistance has been induced, the androgen synthetic capacity of thecal cells enhanced significantly. Ber and Pue could lower the degree of insulin resistance and the androgen synthesis in the model cells, displaying the favorable prospect of the two insulin sensitizing agents for the treatment of polycystic syndrome.</p>

Comparison of clinical efficacies for treatment of 93 patients with chronic pelvic inflammation by Chinese composite yanting decoction medicated via two different paths / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical efficacies of Chinese composite Yanting Decoction medicated via two different paths (via oral and via retention enema) in treating chronic pelvic inflammation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Adopting the randomized multicentered parallel contrast principle, 93 patients were assigned to the retention enema (RE) group (47 cases) and the oral medicated (OM) group (46 cases) at random, Yanting Decoction was administered via respective paths for 10 days as one course. The changes of syndromes (qi-stagnance and blood stasis) and local signs were observed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 47 patients of the RE group, 3 were cured, the treatment was markedly effective in 20, effective in 22 and ineffective in 2, the total effective rate being 95.7%; while in the 46 patients of the OM group, the corresponding number were 1, 8, 30, 7 and 84.8%, respectively, the difference of the total effective rate between groups was statistically significant (P <0.05). The total effective rate for TCM syndromes in the RE and the OM group was 95.7% (45/47) and 82.6% (38/46) respectively, and that for local signs, 97.9% (46/47) and 84.8% (39/46) respectively, the improvements in the RE group were better than those in the OM group (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Chinese preparation Yanting Decoction shows good clinical efficacy in treating chronic pelvic inflammation of qi-stagnant blood-stasis type, the effect could be enhanced by medicating via retention enema than that via oral.</p>