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Lin Y, Zeng H, Lin J, Peng Y, Que X, Wang L, Chen L, Bai N. Evaluating the therapeutic potential of moxibustion on polycystic ovary syndrome: a rat model study on gut microbiota and metabolite interaction. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1328741. [PMID: 38665877 PMCID: PMC11043641 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1328741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common systemic disorder related to endocrine disorders, affecting the fertility of women of childbearing age. It is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, altered gut microbiota, and insulin resistance. Modern treatments like pioglitazone, metformin, and spironolactone target specific symptoms of PCOS, while in Chinese medicine, moxibustion is a common treatment. This study explores moxibustion's impact on PCOS by establishing a dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS rat model. Thirty-six specific pathogen-free female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: a normal control group (CTRL), a PCOS model group (PCOS), a moxibustion treatment group (MBT), and a metformin treatment group (MET). The MBT rats received moxibustion, and the MET rats underwent metformin gavage for two weeks. We evaluated ovarian tissue changes, serum testosterone, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and fasting insulin levels. Additionally, we calculated the insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). We used 16S rDNA sequencing for assessing the gut microbiota, 1H NMR spectroscopy for evaluating metabolic changes, and Spearman correlation analysis for investigating the associations between metabolites and gut microbiota composition. The results indicate that moxibustion therapy significantly ameliorated ovarian dysfunction and insulin resistance in DHEA-induced PCOS rats. We observed marked differences in the composition of gut microbiota and the spectrum of fecal metabolic products between CTRL and PCOS rats. Intriguingly, following moxibustion intervention, these differences were largely diminished, demonstrating the regulatory effect of moxibustion on gut microbiota. Specifically, moxibustion altered the gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of UCG-005 and Turicibacter, as well as decreasing the abundance of Desulfovibrio. Concurrently, we also noted that moxibustion promoted an increase in levels of short-chain fatty acids (including acetate, propionate, and butyrate) associated with the gut microbiota of PCOS rats, further emphasizing its positive impact on gut microbes. Additionally, moxibustion also exhibited effects in lowering FBG, testosterone, and fasting insulin levels, which are key biochemical indicators associated with PCOS and insulin resistance. Therefore, these findings suggest that moxibustion could alleviate DHEA-induced PCOS by regulating metabolic levels, restoring balance in gut microbiota, and modulating interactions between gut microbiota and host metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Lin
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Specialty Diagnosis and Treatment, Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, China
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huiling Zeng
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jieying Lin
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yiwei Peng
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xueyun Que
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lijun Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Ling Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ni Bai
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Specialty Diagnosis and Treatment, Xiamen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, China
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Liang S, Yin Y, Zhang Z, Fang Y, Lu G, Li H, Yin Y, Shen M. Moxibustion prevents tripterygium glycoside-induced oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in rats via reduced oxidative stress and modulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:2141-2160. [PMID: 38277193 PMCID: PMC10911353 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) decreases male fertility, seriously affecting the production of offspring. This study clarified the preventive impact of different moxibustion frequencies on OAT and selected the optimal frequency to elucidate the underlying mechanism. An OAT rat model was constructed by gavage of tripterygium glycosides (TGS) suspension. Daily moxibustion (DM) or alternate-day moxibustion (ADM) was administered on the day of TGS suspension administration. Finally, we selected DM for further study based on sperm quality and DNA fragmentation index, testicular and epididymal morphology, and reproductive hormone level results. Subsequently, the oxidative stress (OS) status was evaluated by observing the OS indices levels; malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) in testicular tissue using colorimetry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor erythropoietin-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were evaluated using Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was employed to locate and assess the expression of HO-1 and Nrf2 protein, while quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to detect their mRNA expression. MDA and 8-OHdG levels decreased following DM treatment, while T-SOD and T-AOC increased, suggesting that DM may prevent TGS-induced OAT in rats by decreasing OS in the testis. Furthermore, protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the testis were elevated, indicating that DM may reduce OS by activating the signaling pathway of Nrf2/HO-1. Therefore, DM could prevent OAT in rats via the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, thereby presenting a promising therapeutic approach against OAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangjie Liang
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaqun Yin
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhizi Zhang
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yansu Fang
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ge Lu
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxiao Li
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaoli Yin
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Meihong Shen
- College of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
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Shi YQ, Wang Y, Zhu XT, Yin RY, Ma YF, Han H, Han YH, Zhang YH. The Application of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Infertility. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2022; 2022:5076306. [PMID: 36248406 PMCID: PMC9568292 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5076306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a lifelong reproductive endocrine disease, which is the most common cause of anovular infertility. Modern medicine mainly treats infertile patients with PCOS by improving living habits, ovulation induction therapy, and assisted reproductive technology (ART), but the effect is not satisfied. Complementary alternative medicine (CAM) has conspicuous advantages in the treatment of PCOS infertility due to its good clinical efficacy, wide mechanism of action, and no obvious adverse reactions, but its safety and effectiveness in the treatment of PCOS infertility have not been proved. Based on the existing clinical and experimental studies, this paper looks for the therapeutic effect and the mechanism behind it, and explores the safety and effectiveness of its treatment in PCOS infertility, in order to provide reference for future clinical treatment and experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Qian Shi
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xi-Ting Zhu
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Rui-Yang Yin
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Yi-Fu Ma
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Han Han
- The First Clinical Hospital affiliated to Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yan-Hua Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Yue-Hui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory and Unit of Infertility in Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
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