Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Department of Neuroscience, Institute for Chinese Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Oct 19;13:994642. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.994642. eCollection 2022.
BACKGROUND: Yin Huo Tang (YHT), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is effectively used for the clinical treatment of menopause-like symptoms in China. This study aimed to investigate its efficacy on menopause-like symptoms in mice using behavioral tests and histopathological assessment, and to determine its possible mechanism of action based on network pharmacology. METHODS: Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology was used to identify the potential active ingredients of YHT. In mice, menopause-like symptoms were induced by combination of bilateral ovariectomy and empty bottle stimulation. The mice were then treated with the YHT aqueous extract for three weeks. Behavior, sleep state, body weight, organ index, and histomorphology were analyzed separately. Additionally, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict the mechanisms underlying the action of YHT. Finally, serum estradiol was quantified to preliminarily verify the results of network pharmacology. RESULTS: YHT not only improved the behavior of mice (attack and explore behavior reduced; modify behavior increased) but also ameliorated the sleep state (sleep time increased and incubation time reduced). YHT reduced body weight, increased uterine weight, and improved the histomorphology of some organs. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed that the estrogen signaling pathway might play a key role in attenuating menopause-like symptoms. Furthermore, YHT treatment reversed the reduction in serum estradiol levels. CONCLUSIONS: YHT alleviates menopause-like symptoms in a mouse model, providing a rationale for using it as a potential therapeutic strategy.
背景:阴火汤(YHT)是一种中药方剂,在中国临床上常用于治疗绝经相关症状。本研究旨在通过行为学测试和组织病理学评估,研究 YHT 对小鼠绝经相关症状的疗效,并基于网络药理学确定其可能的作用机制。
方法:采用液相色谱-质谱联用(LC-MS)技术鉴定 YHT 的潜在活性成分。通过双侧卵巢切除术和空瓶刺激联合建立小鼠绝经模型,用 YHT 水提物进行为期 3 周的治疗。分别分析行为、睡眠状态、体重、器官指数和组织形态学。此外,还采用网络药理学和分子对接预测 YHT 作用机制。最后,通过检测血清雌二醇水平初步验证网络药理学结果。
结果:YHT 不仅改善了小鼠的行为(攻击和探索行为减少,修饰行为增加),还改善了睡眠状态(睡眠时间增加,潜伏期缩短)。YHT 降低了体重,增加了子宫重量,改善了部分器官的组织形态。网络药理学和分子对接分析表明,雌激素信号通路可能在缓解绝经相关症状中发挥关键作用。此外,YHT 治疗还逆转了血清雌二醇水平的降低。
结论:YHT 缓解了绝经相关症状,为其作为一种潜在治疗策略提供了依据。
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