FSH receptor binding inhibitor restrains ovarian cancer through down-regulating expression levels of FSHR and ERβ in mice

ABSTRACT

Follicle stimulating hormone receptor is used as an imaging biomarker for the detection of ovarian cancer (OC). Inhibiton of FSHR may attenuate the carcinogenesis particularly epithelial ovarian cancer. Here we investigated FSH receptor binding inhibitor (FRBI) effects on the follicular development, to explore their impact on expressions of FSH receptor (FSHR) and estrogen receptor b (ERβ) proteins in the ovaries. 150 female mice were assigned to FRBI+FSH (COM) group, FSH group, and control group (CG). Mice in COM-1, COM-2, and COM-3 groups were intramuscularly injected with 500, 750 and 1000 μg FRBI combined with 10 IU FSH for five consecutive days. The results showed that the numbers of secondary follicles (SF) in FSH group were increased. SF numbers of three COM groups were gradually declined as the FRBI doses rose. SF numbers of COM-2 and COM-3 groups were less than the FSH group on day 20 (P <0.05). Ovarian cortex thicknesses (OCT) of COM-3 group was less than that FSH group (P <0.05). Maximum longitudinal diameter (MLD) and transverse diameter (MTD) of SFs in three COM groups were dose-dependently decreased. FSHR protein levels of COM groups were significantly decreased as compared to FSH group (P <0.05). ERβ protein levels of COM-1 and COM-2 were less than the FSH group (P <0.05). Summarily, FRBI could reduce OCT and follicle numbers, suppress follicular development, decrease expression of ovarian ERβ and FSHR protein.