Protective effects of quercetin on uterine receptivity markers and blastocyst implantation rate in diabetic pregnant mice

Effects of quercetin on immune regulation at the maternal-fetal interface

The imbalance of immune homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface is closely related to adverse pregnancy outcomes, so it has become one of the hot research topics in the reproductive field. Quercetin is rich in common TCM kidney-tonifying herbs such as dodder and lorathlorace, and has shown pregnancy protection function. As a common flavonoid, quercetin has powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, estrogen-like effects; and it can regulate the functions of maternal-fetal interface immune cells (such as decidual natural killer cells, decidual macrophages, T cells, dendritic cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells), exovillous trophoblast cells, decidual stromal cells, and the activities of their cytokines. Quercetin maintains the dynamic balance of maternal and fetal immunity by attenuating cytotoxicity, reducing excessive apoptosis of the tissue cells and inhibiting excessive inflammatory reactions. In this article, the role and molecular mechanism of quercetin in the immunomodulatory process of the maternal and fetal interface are reviewed to provide reference for the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The effect of a traditional Chinese quadri-combination therapy and its component quercetin on recurrent spontaneous abortion: A clinical trial, network pharmacology and experiments-based study

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanisms of a traditional Chinese quadri-combination therapy [Bushen, Yiqi, Lixue and Yangtai (BYLY)] in treating recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Methods: A clinical trial was conducted to study the effect of BYLY on RSA. Pharmacological network analysis and UPLC-Q/TOF-mass spectrometry (MS) were applied to investigate the key active component in BYLY and potential targets. Cellular experiments based on former results were performed to examine the mechanism of BYLY in the treatment of RSA. Results: Four hundred and eighty participants enrolled in the clinical trial. The results showed that, compared with the use of BYLY or duphaston alone, a combination of duphaston and BYLY could decrease the early abortion rate in RSA (p < 0.001). Network pharmacological analysis indicated that BYLY contained 132 active components and 146 core targets, and the quercetin maybe the key effective component. In vitro experiments found that pretreatment of quercetin at the correct concentration (2 μM) prevented hypoxia-induced viability and proliferation reduction, and apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, quercetin could modulate mitochondrial fission/fusion balance in trophoblasts, and specifically decrease the expression of Drp1 by regulating miR-34a-5p. Conclusion: BYLY could improve pregnancy outcomes of RSA, based on multi-components and multi-targets. The protective effect of quercetin on trophoblasts, through decreasing Drp1 expression via regulating miR-34a-5p, might be one possible effective mechanism.

Autophagy as a Therapeutic Target of Natural Products Enhancing Embryo Implantation

Infertility is an emerging health issue worldwide, and female infertility is intimately associated with embryo implantation failure. Embryo implantation is an essential process during the initiation of prenatal development. Recent studies have strongly suggested that autophagy in the endometrium is the most important factor for successful embryo implantation. In addition, several studies have reported the effects of various natural products on infertility improvement via the regulation of embryo implantation, embryo quality, and endometrial receptivity. However, it is unclear whether natural products can improve embryo implantation ability by regulating endometrial autophagy. Therefore, we performed a literature review of studies on endometrial autophagy, embryo implantation, natural products, and female infertility. Based on the information from these studies, this review suggests a new treatment strategy for female infertility by proposing natural products that have been proven to be safe and effective as endometrial autophagy regulators; additionally, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the regulation of endometrial autophagy by natural products and female infertility, with an emphasis on embryo implantation.

Therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines and their extracts on diabetes

With the improvement of people's living standards and changes in the environment, the incidence of diabetes has increased rapidly. It has gradually become one of the main diseases threatening the health and life of modern people, bringing a great burden to the society. Although the existing treatment methods can effectively control the symptoms of diabetes and delay its progression, they have not brought satisfactory improvement in the quality of life and treatment of patients. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines and their extracts combine thousands of years of experience and the scientific basis provided by modern experimental research, which is expected to bring a qualitative leap in the clinical management of diabetes. Therefore, this article systematically reviews studies on the effects of Chinese herbal medicine and its extracts on diabetes and its complications, and aims to bring new ideas and options for the clinical treatment of diabetes.