[Evaluation on phytoestrogen effects of ten kinds of Chinese medicine including flos carthami].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the phytoestrogenic effects of ten kinds of Chinese medicine including flos carthami, radix cyathulae, radix salviae miltiorrhizae, fructus ligustri lucidi, fructus lycii, radix clycyrrhizae, herba cistanches, herba epimedii, fructus psoraleae and semen cuscutae.

METHOD

240 female Kunming mice weighting 9 - 12 g were randomly divided into two main groups A and B. A group was divided into 12 small groups: 1 solvent control group, 1 diethylstilbestrol control group and 10 Chinese medicine groups. B group was also divided into 12 small groups: 1 solvent control group, 1 diethylstilbestrol control group and 10 Chinese medicine antagonistic groups. Mice in ten antagonistic groups were administered both Chinese medicine and diethylstilbestrol everyday. After administered(op) for 4 days, blood was collected and serum was separated. The effect of the pharmacological serum on proliferation rate of MCF-7 (ER+) was analyzed by MTT-assay.

RESULT

In A group, proliferation rates of MCF-7 cells treated with serum from eight Chinese medicine groups including flos carthami, radix cyathulae, radix salviae miltiorrhizae, fructus lycii, herba cistanches, herba epimedii, fructus psoraleae and semen cuscutae were coued markedly increase respectively. While serum from fructus ligustri lucidi group could markedly decrease the proliferation rate of MCF-7 cells. In B group, the increased proliferation rate of MCF-7 cells caused by diethylstilbestrol was significantly reduced in seven Chinese medicine antagonistic groups including flos carthami, radix cyathulae, radix salviae miltiorrhizae, radix clycyrrhizae, herba epimedii, fructus psoraleae and semen cuscutae. While the increased proliferation rate could be markedly enhanced in herba cistanches group.

CONCLUSION

Six kinds of Chinese medicine such as flos carthami, radix cyathulae, radix salviae miltiorrhizae, herba epimedii, fructus psoraleae and semen cuscutae show both estrogenic effects (when administered indepently) and antiestrogenic effects (when administered together with diethylstilbestrol). Such bidirectional effects depends on the internal estrogen level.