Shi Xiao San ameliorates the development of adenomyosis in an ICR mouse model

Dahuang—Taoren, a botanical drug combination, ameliorates adenomyosis via inhibiting Rho GTPases

Introduction: Dahuang-Taoren (DT) is a classic combination of botanical drugs applied to treat pain-related diseases in ancient China. Today, DT is frequently applied for dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis (AM) in the clinic. Growing evidence indicates Rho GTPases may play an essential role in AM progression. However, the potential mechanism of DT on Rho GTPases in AM remains unclear.

Methods: The expressions of Rho GTPases in the patients with AM were evaluated. Further, pituitary transplantation-induced AM mice and the primary AM endometrial stromal cells (AMESCs) were subjected to DT intervention.

Results: The results revealed that the expressions of Rho GTPases were significantly upregulated in both AM patients and AM mice. The DT could reduce pathological infiltration, relieve hyperalgesia, and alleviate cytoskeleton remodeling in AM mice. Besides, the migration and invasion of AMESCs were markedly inhibited after exposure to DT.

Discussion: These effects may be linked to the decreased Rho GTPases expression. The results may offer a novel explanation of DT against AM.

Uncovering the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Gexia-Zhuyu Formula (GXZY) in Treating Liver Cirrhosis by an Integrative Pharmacology Strategy

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a fibrotic lesion of liver tissue caused by the repeated progression of chronic hepatitis. The traditional Chinese medicine Gexia-Zhuyu formula (GXZY) has a therapeutic effect on LC. However, its pharmacological mechanisms on LC remain elucidated. Here, we used the network pharmacology approach to explore the action mechanisms of GXZY on LC. The compounds of GXZY were from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database, and their potential targets were from SwissTargetPrediction and STITCH databases. The disease targets of LC came from GeneCards, DisGeNET, NCBI gene, and OMIM databases. Then we constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to obtain the key target genes. And the gene ontology (GO), pathway enrichment, and expression analysis of the key genes were also performed. Subsequently, the potential action mechanisms of GXZY on LC predicted by the network pharmacology analyses were experimentally validated in LC rats and LX2 cells. A total of 150 components in GXZY were obtained, among which 111 were chosen as key compounds. The PPI network included 525 targets, and the key targets were obtained by network topological parameters analysis, whereas the predicted key genes of GXZY on LC were AR, JUN, MYC, CASP3, MMP9, GAPDH, and RELA. Furthermore, these key genes were related to pathways in cancer, hepatitis B, TNF signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. The in vitro and in vivo experiments validated that GXZY inhibited the process of LC mainly via the regulation of cells proliferation and migration through reducing the expression of MMP9. In conclusion, through the combination of network pharmacology and experimental verification, this study offered more insight molecular mechanisms of GXZY on LC.

Berberine attenuates hyperalgesia in mice with adenomyosis

PURPOSE

Adenomyosis is a common gynecological disease, but its pathogenesis and treatment options are not yet completely clear. This study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of berberine on tamoxifen-induced neonatal mouse adenomyosis and its curative effects on the disease.

METHODS

The mouse adenomyosis model was established in neonatal female mice via oral administration of tamoxifen suspended solution. Adenomyosis mice were given berberine by intraperitoneal injection with the dosage of 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg body weight, respectively, at 17 weeks after birth. The pain sensation of the mice was evaluated by hotplate and tail-flick tests. The mRNA levels of gene expression were detected by RT-qPCR. The protein expression was analyzed by ELISA and Western blot.

RESULTS

Berberine reduced the uterine weight, suppressed the myometrial infiltration of ectopic endometrium, improved the hotplate and tail-flick latency of the adenomyosis mice. Mechanistically, berberine downregulated the expression of genes related to pain and inflammation, such as TRPV1, COX-2, VEGF and OTR, impaired the inflammatory response at the DRG site, and inhibited the expression of TLR4 in DRG and uterine tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

Berberine attenuates hyperalgesia and exhibits analgesic and therapeutic effects on adenomyosis mice.