Department of Gynecology, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Graduate School, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Aug 9;13:891297. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.891297. eCollection 2022.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in gynecology. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely used for the treatment of PCOS in China. The Bu Shen Hua Zhuo formula (BSHZF), a TCM decoction, has shown great therapeutic efficacy in clinical practice. However, the mechanism underlying the BSHZF function in PCOS remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the potential mechanisms of action of BSHZF in the treatment of PCOS. PCOS-model rats treated with letrozole were administered different doses of BSHZF, metformin, and 1% carboxymethylcellulose. Serum sex hormones, fasting blood glucose, and fasting insulin levels were measured, and the morphology of the ovaries was observed in each group, including the normal group. The structure and abundance of the gut microbiota in rats were measured using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and phospho-NF-κB p65 levels in the ovarian tissue of the rats were detected using Western blotting. Furthermore, the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in the serum of rats were detected by ELISA. The results showed that BSHZF administration was associated with a decrease in body weight, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and testosterone and changes in ovarian morphology in PCOS-model rats. Moreover, BSHZF was associated with an increase in the α-diversity of gut microbiota, decrease in the relative abundance of , and increase in and short chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (, , ). Furthermore, BSHZF may promote carbohydrate and protein metabolism. In addition, BSHZF was associated with a decrease in the serum level of LPS and TLR4 expression, thereby inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling-mediated inflammatory response in ovarian tissue. Therefore, the beneficial effects of BSHZF on PCOS pathogenesis are associated with its ability to normalize gut microbiota function and inhibit PCOS-related inflammation.
多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)是妇科最常见的内分泌疾病之一。在中国,中医药(TCM)被广泛用于治疗 PCOS。补肾活著方(BSHZF)是一种中药方剂,在临床实践中已显示出很好的疗效。然而,BSHZF 治疗 PCOS 的作用机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在探讨 BSHZF 治疗 PCOS 的潜在作用机制。给予造模大鼠不同剂量的 BSHZF、二甲双胍和 1%羧甲基纤维素,检测血清性激素、空腹血糖和空腹胰岛素水平,观察各组大鼠(包括正常组)卵巢形态。采用 16S 核糖体 RNA 基因测序检测大鼠肠道微生物群落结构和丰度。采用 Western blot 检测大鼠卵巢组织中 Toll 样受体 4(TLR4)和磷酸化核因子-κB p65(NF-κB p65)的水平。此外,采用 ELISA 法检测大鼠血清中脂多糖(LPS)和炎症因子 TNF-α、IL-6 和 IL-8 的水平。结果表明,BSHZF 可降低 PCOS 模型大鼠的体重、空腹血糖、空腹胰岛素和睾酮水平,改善卵巢形态。此外,BSHZF 可增加肠道微生物群落的 α 多样性,降低相对丰度,增加和短链脂肪酸产生菌(、和)。此外,BSHZF 可能促进碳水化合物和蛋白质代谢。另外,BSHZF 可降低血清 LPS 水平和 TLR4 表达,从而抑制卵巢组织中 NF-κB 信号转导介导的炎症反应激活。因此,BSHZF 对 PCOS 发病机制的有益作用与其调节肠道微生物群功能和抑制 PCOS 相关炎症的能力有关。