Effect of Bushen Huoxue recipe on women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder and a rat model of thin endometrium resulted from kidney deficiency-related blood stasis.

To examine the therapeutic effect of Bushen Huoxue recipe (BHR) on women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder and on a rat model of kidney deficiency-related blood stasis. A total of 60 women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder was enrolled. The primary outcome of the study was the pregnancy rate three menstrual cycles after treatment. The study also examined the changes in the type and thickness of uterine artery, uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) and endometrial resistance index (RI). To establish kidney deficiency-related blood stasis in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, an intragastric administration of hydroxyurea and a tail vein injection of Dextran were given, following with a flashing of the uterine cavity with 95% anhydrous ethanol. A combined regimen of BHR and estradiol valerate significantly increased the rate of pregnancy in women with thin endometrial ovulation disorder. The treatment was accompanied by a significant increase in endometrial thickness and decreases in uterine artery PI and endometrial RI. In rats, kidney deficiency-related blood stasis caused severe loss in endometrial architecture, thickness, and numbers of gland and blood vessel compared to the healthy SD rats. Treatment with BHR could ameliorate the endometrial damages associated with kidney deficiency-related blood stasis.

Immediate analgesia effect of single point acupuncture in primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is often used for primary dysmenorrhea. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of a single point of acupuncture in the management of primary dysmenorrhea compared with sham acupuncture and no acupuncture. METHODOLOGY: Patients with primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned to acupoint group (n=50), unrelated acupoint group (n=50), nonacupoint group (n=46), or no acupuncture group (n=48). Acupuncture and sham acupuncture were administered once-daily for 3 days with electro-acupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP6) that was specifically designed to treat primary dysmenorrhea, or an unrelated acupoint (Xuanzhong, GB39), or nonacupoint location. The primary outcome was pain intensity as measured by a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline; 5, 10, 30, and 60 minutes following the start of the first intervention. Cox retrospective symptom scale (RSS), verbal rating scale (VRS), pain total time, and proportion of participants using analgesics were also recorded during three menstrual cycles. RESULTS: The primary comparison of VAS scores demonstrated that patients receiving acupuncture (-15.56 mm, 95% CI -22.16 to -8.95, P<0.001), unrelated acupoint (-18.14 mm, 95% CI -24.81 to -11.47, P<0.001), and nonacupoint (-10.96 mm, 95% CI -17.62 to -4.30, P=0.001) treatment presented significant improvements compared with no acupuncture group. There were no significant differences among the four groups with respect to secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture was better than no acupuncture for relieving the pain of dysmenorrhea following a single point of acupuncture, but no differences were detected between acupoint acupuncture and unrelated acupoint acupuncture, acupoint acupuncture and nonacupoint acupuncture.

[Regulation of genistein on the levels of ERalpha, ERbeta mRNA in uterine endometrial cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of phytoestrogen (genistein) on uterine endometrial cancer cells and provide the theory foundation for using phytoestrogen in clinical practice. METHODS: Uterine endometrial cancer cell lines (ishikawa) were cultured in vitro at different genistein concentration, and the expressions of the two estrogen subtypes of endometrial cancer cells were observed by real-time PCR. And two treatment groups, estradiol and progestin, were used as positive controls. RESULTS: (1) Low concentration of genistein could enhance the expression level of ERalpha mRNA of endometrial cancer cells, which was obviously weaker than that of the estradiol group. On the other hand, low concentration of genistein could decrease the expression level of ERbeta mRNA of endometrial cancer cells, however estradiol had hardly any effect on this. (2) High concentration of genistein could decline the expression levels of ERalpha and ERbeta mRNA of endometrial cancer cells, whose effect was weaker than that of progestin. CONCLUSION: The expression levels of ERalpha mRNA and ERbeta mRNA of endometrial cancer cells vary with genistein concentrations. The experimental results suggest that genistein may act as estrogen receptor regulator.

[Effects of extracts of root of kudzu vine on mammary gland and uterus development in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of extracts of root of kudzu vine on mammary gland and uterus development in rats. METHOD: 40 Wistar rats weighting 65-85 g were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, estrogen group, extracts of root of kudzu vine group of high dose, extracts of root of kudzu vine group of low dose. (10 rats in each group). After having been treated for 7 days, the rats were killed; mammary glands and uterus were removed and weighed. Serum was isolated and kept at 4 degrees C for determination of hormones. RESULT: 1. Administration of the root of kudzu vine significantly increased the weigh of mammary gland and uterus in rats. 2. Administration of the root of kudzu vine increased serum FSH, LH, E2 and decreased PRL. CONCLUSION: Extracts of root of kudzu vine could enhance the weight of mammary gland and uterus growth in rats, which may provide experimental evidence for the development of new drug used for promoting mammary gland and uterus.