Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2021 Nov 29;21(1):291. doi: 10.1186/s12906-021-03452-6.
Insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances are key features in the pathophysiology of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). We have previously shown that Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea Jack (Moraceae) can improve insulin sensitivity and hormonal profile in PCOS female rats. However, biological characteristics underpinning the therapeutic effects of F. deltoidea for treating PCOS remain to be clarified. This study aims to investigate the biochemical, hormonal, and histomorphometric changes in letrozole (LTZ)-induced PCOS female rats following treatment with F. deltoidea.
PCOS was induced in rats except for normal control by administering LTZ at 1 mg/kg/day for 21 days. Methanolic extract of F. deltoidea leaf was then orally administered to the PCOS rats at the dose of 250, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/day, respectively for 15 consecutive days. Lipid profile was measured enzymatically in serum. The circulating concentrations of reproductive hormone and antioxidant enzymes were determined by ELISA assays. Ovarian and uterus histomorphometric changes were further observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.
The results showed that treatment with F. deltoidea at the dose of 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day reduced insulin resistance, obesity indices, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), malondialdehyde (MDA), testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to near-normal levels in PCOS rats. The levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), estrogen, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are also similar to those observed in normal control rats. Histomorphometric measurements confirmed that F. deltoidea increased the corpus luteum number and the endometrial thickness.
F. deltoidea can reverse PCOS symptoms in female rats by improving insulin sensitivity, antioxidant activities, hormonal imbalance, and histological changes. These findings suggest the potential use of F. deltoidea as an adjuvant agent in the treatment program of PCOS.
胰岛素抵抗和激素失衡是多囊卵巢综合征（PCOS）病理生理学的关键特征。我们之前已经表明，榕属植物 Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea Jack（桑科）可以改善 PCOS 雌性大鼠的胰岛素敏感性和激素谱。然而，支持榕属植物治疗 PCOS 治疗效果的生物学特征仍有待阐明。本研究旨在研究经来曲唑（LTZ）诱导的 PCOS 雌性大鼠在接受榕属植物治疗后生化、激素和组织形态计量学的变化。
除正常对照组外，其余大鼠每天给予 1mg/kg 的 LTZ 诱导 PCOS 21 天。然后，分别以 250、500 和 1000mg/kg/天的剂量口服给予 PCOS 大鼠榕属植物叶的甲醇提取物，连续 15 天。用酶法测定血清中的脂质谱。通过 ELISA 测定循环生殖激素和抗氧化酶的浓度。通过苏木精和伊红（H&E）染色进一步观察卵巢和子宫的组织形态计量学变化。
结果表明，每天 500 和 1000mg/kg 剂量的榕属植物治疗可使 PCOS 大鼠的胰岛素抵抗、肥胖指数、总胆固醇、甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL）、丙二醛（MDA）、睾酮、促黄体生成激素（LH）和卵泡刺激素（FSH）降低至接近正常水平。高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL）、雌激素和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）的水平也与正常对照组大鼠相似。组织形态计量学测量证实，榕属植物增加了黄体数量和子宫内膜厚度。
榕属植物可通过改善胰岛素敏感性、抗氧化活性、激素失衡和组织学变化来逆转雌性大鼠的 PCOS 症状。这些发现表明榕属植物可能作为 PCOS 治疗方案的辅助药物。
