Atsama Perpetue Mbede, Djiogue Sefirin, Awounfack Charline Florence, Njamen Dieudonné
Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Science, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Reprod Fertil. 2025 Sep 3;6(3). doi: 10.1530/RAF-24-0084. Print 2025 Jul 1.
Current treatments for endometriosis are unsuitable for women who wish to conceive. To verify the supposed beneficial effects of Graptophyllum pictum (G. pictum) on reproductive diseases and inflammation, endometriosis was induced in female Wistar rats using a slightly modified protocol. After verification of successful transplantation (42 days), the animals were co-treated for 7 days with estradiol valerate (E2V; 0.5 mg/kg and the aqueous (GPC) or methanolic (GPM) extracts of G. pictum at doses of 50 and 275 mg/kg. Positive controls received aspirin (3 mg/kg) or letrozole (10 mg/kg). Normal and negative controls received vehicle (distilled water, 10 mL/kg). On day 7, animals were injected with oxytocin 30 min before sacrifice to evaluate some dysmenorrhea-like model parameters. Five animals per group were then sacrificed, and the remaining five animals were mated with males of proven fertility for 25 days. G. pictum extracts at all doses significantly (P < 0.001) increased the time of writhing latency and decreased its frequency and the volume of implant (P < 0.05) at the GPM 50 mg/kg dose. Levels of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and vascular angiogenic growth factor were reduced (P < 0.001) with all treatments. They also increased (P < 0.05) the serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels and decreased serum nitrite and malondialdehyde levels. In addition, the number of Graafian follicles (P < 0.05), fertility, and pregnancy rates were increased with the treatments. G. pictum extracts showed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and fertilizing effects in Wistar rats with endometriosis.
Asymptomatic in some individuals, endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that causes infertility and severe pelvic pain, especially during menstrual periods and sexual intercourse. Higher cesarean rates worldwide have led to more cases of endometriosis (scar endometriosis). The delay of diagnosis (between 2 and 13 years) leads to increased misdiagnosis among patients and healthcare costs. There is no cure, but current treatments aim to alleviate spasms and pain by inhibiting estrogen production, and they are therefore unsuitable for women wishing to conceive, since they affect ovulation. Hence, there is a need to seek medical treatments that do not prevent pregnancy. Apart from its ornamental worth, Graptophyllum pictum, also called caricature plant, is traditionally used to relieve pain and treat reproductive disorders. After abdominal auto-transplantation of uterine fragments in rats, water-based and alcohol-based extracts of G. pictum promoted fertility by improving menstrual pain, egg development, and reducing cell damage and inflammation, which contribute to the progression of endometriosis.
目前子宫内膜异位症的治疗方法不适用于有生育意愿的女性。为验证彩叶木（Graptophyllum pictum）对生殖疾病和炎症的假定有益作用，采用略有修改的方案在雌性Wistar大鼠中诱导子宫内膜异位症。在成功移植（42天）得到验证后，动物接受戊酸雌二醇（E2V；0.5mg/kg）与彩叶木水提取物（GPC）或甲醇提取物（GPM）联合治疗7天，GPC和GPM的剂量分别为50mg/kg和275mg/kg。阳性对照接受阿司匹林（3mg/kg）或来曲唑（10mg/kg）。正常对照和阴性对照接受赋形剂（蒸馏水，10mL/kg）。在第7天，在处死动物前30分钟注射催产素，以评估一些痛经样模型参数。然后每组处死5只动物，其余5只动物与已证实有生育能力的雄性动物交配25天。所有剂量的彩叶木提取物均显著（P<0.001）延长了扭体潜伏期，降低了扭体频率，且GPM 50mg/kg剂量组的植入物体积减小（P<0.05）。所有治疗均降低了白细胞介素-6、肿瘤坏死因子-α和血管生成生长因子的水平（P<0.001）。它们还提高了（P<0.05）血清超氧化物歧化酶和谷胱甘肽水平，降低了血清亚硝酸盐和丙二醛水平。此外，治疗后格拉夫卵泡数量（P<0.05）、生育率和妊娠率均有所提高。彩叶木提取物对患有子宫内膜异位症的Wistar大鼠具有抗炎、抗氧化和促进生育的作用。
子宫内膜异位症在某些个体中无症状，是一种雌激素依赖性疾病，可导致不孕和严重的盆腔疼痛，尤其是在月经期和性交期间。全球剖宫产率的上升导致了更多的子宫内膜异位症病例（瘢痕子宫内膜异位症）。诊断延迟（2至13年）导致患者误诊增加和医疗成本上升。该病无法治愈，但目前的治疗旨在通过抑制雌激素产生来缓解痉挛和疼痛，因此不适用于有生育意愿的女性，因为它们会影响排卵。因此，需要寻找不影响怀孕的治疗方法。除了具有观赏价值外，彩叶木，也被称为漫画植物，传统上用于缓解疼痛和治疗生殖疾病。在大鼠腹部自体移植子宫碎片后，彩叶木的水基和醇基提取物通过改善痛经、促进卵子发育以及减少细胞损伤和炎症，从而促进生育，这些因素都有助于子宫内膜异位症的进展。
