Effects of Jiawei Shaoyao-Gancao Decoction and Its Drug-Containing Serum on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Ultrastructure of Human Adenomyosis Foci Cells.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Jiawei Shaoyao-Gancao Decoction (JSGD) and its drug-containing serum (CDS) on the proliferation, apoptosis, and ultrastructure of human adenomyosis foci cells. METHODS: Primary cultures of human adenomyosis foci cells were prepared from hard uterine lesions of adenomyosis patients. The cells were treated with JSGD (10 and 20 mg/ml), CDS, and mifepristone (MIF) for 24 or 48 h. Cell proliferation was detected using CCK-8 assay, cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, and the cell ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: JSGD and CDS significantly induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation for 24 h or 48 h, in which the effects of JSGD were in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of CDS for 24 h was higher than that of CDS for 48 h. Moreover, JSGD and CDS treatments induced marked apoptosis in adenomyosis foci cells, characterized by nucleus chromatin, condensation, fragmentation, mitochondria and endoplasmic swelling, and autophagy-lysosome. CONCLUSIONS: JSGD and CDS can suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in adenomyosis foci cells, through altering their ultrastructure. The results provided support for JSGD and CDS in the treatment of adenomyosis and gained further insight into the effect of this prescription.

[Role of estrogen, estrogen receptors, and aromatase in the pathogenesis of uterine adenomyosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of estrogen (E2), estrogen receptor (ER) and aromatase (P450arom) in the pathogenesis of uterine adenomyosis. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded specimens of the uterine tissue from patients with uterine adenomyosis and patients with cervical lesions (CIN; control) were examined for expressions of E2, ER and P450arom by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. The cells isolated from the lesions of patients with adenomyosis were cultured in vitro, and the changes in cell growth in response to treatments with E2, ER inhibitor, ER inhibitor + E2, estrogen deprivation, and estrogen deprivation+ ICI182780 were assessed using CCK-8 method. RESULTS: The expression levels of E2, ER, and P450arom were significantly higher in adenomyosis ectopic lesions and eutopic endometrium than in the myometrium and endometrium in the control group (P<0.05); no significant difference in E2 and P450arom expressions was found between adenomyosis ectopic lesions and eutopic endometrium (P>0.05), while the expression levels of ER in ectopic lesions was significantly higher than that in eutopic endometrium. The cell inhibition rates were similar between ER inhibitor group and ER inhibitor + Estrogen activation group (P>0.05), and was significantly higher in estrogen deprivation+ ER inhibitor group than in estrogen deprivation group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The high expression levels of E2, ER, and P450arom in adenomyosis ectopic lesions and eutopic endometrium promote uterine adenomyosis cell proliferation, in which process E2 combines with ER to execute its biological effect; ER also promotes the occurrence and development of uterine adenomyosis through other pathways.

[Efficacy of Shugan Yiyang Capsules combined with sertraline on premature ejaculation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Shugan Yiyang Capsules combined with sertraline in the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). METHODS: We randomly assigned 192 PE patients to receive sertraline hydrochloride 50 mg qd (control group, n = 96) or sertraline hydrochloride 50 mg qd plus Shugan Yiyang Capsules at the dose of 4 capsules tid ( combination therapy group, n = 96) , both for 6 weeks. We compared the intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and Chinese Index of Premature Ejaculation ( CIPE) scores between the two groups of patients before and after medication and at 6 weeks after drug withdrawal. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline, the IELT was significantly increased after 6 weeks of medication in the combination therapy group ([1.41 ± 0.53] vs [6.69 ± 3.56] min, P < 0.05) and the control group ([1.43 ± 0.48] vs [5.37 ± 2.91] min, P < 0.05), and so was the CIPE score in the former (9. 80 ± 2.06 vs 21.62 ± 4.76, P < 0.05) and the latter group ([9.41 ± 1.97] vs [20.85 ± 4.83] , P < 0.05). In comparison with the pre-medication indexes, the IELT ([3.77 ± 1.63] min) and CIPE score (16.92 ± 3.37) of the combined therapy group were remarkably improved at 6 weeks after drug withdrawal (P < 0.05), but not those of the control ([1.19 ± 1.34] min and 10.59 ± 2.38, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Shugan Yiyang Capsules combined with sertraline have a definite and lasting effect on premature ejaculation.