[Effect of the Yifuning soft gelatin capsules on estrogen receptor and nitric oxide levels in ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the Yifuning soft gelatin capsules(YFN)on estrogen receptor (ER) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in ovariectomized rats. METHOD: Fifty female mature sprague-dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control; model control; diethylstilbestrol tablets (DT); YFN (high dose and low dose). After 4 weeks' treatment, the serum E2 levels were detected by radioimmunoassay. The estrogen receptor (ER) levels of uterus and artery were detected with method of radioligand binding assay of receptor (RBAR). The uterus pathologic changes were investigated with light microscope. NO and NOS levels of the artery and the uterus index were detected too. RESULT: YFN can obviously improve serum E2, increase index and ER of uterus (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and ameliorate the uterus' pathologic changes in OVX rats. It also can increase the artery' ER, NO and NOS levels. CONCLUSION: YFN can cure the climacteric syndrome and prevent the cardiovascular disease after post-menopause.

Effect of oviductus ranae and oviductus ranae eggs on bone metabolism and osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the roles or effects of oviductus ranae (OR) or oviductus ranae eggs (ORE) in preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: In vivo experiment: Sixty female adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 12. To provide an osteoporosis model 4 groups of rats were ovariectomized (OVX), with the 5th being sham operated. Medication commenced 7 days after the operation and lasted continuously for 12 weeks. Sham operated and OVX groups were given equivalent volumes of 5% Tween-80. The other three groups intragastrically received conjugated estrogens (CE), OR or ORE of the corresponding doses. At the 12th week, serum estrogen, bone gla protein (BGP), serum calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were assayed; bone mineral densities (BMD) were measured and bone scanning was conducted; uteri were weighed, and weight, volume and length of the femoral bones were determined; and cortical thickness of femoral heads and area of bone trabecula were measured by image analyzer. In vitro experiment: Eighty 10-month old SD rats, with equal numbers of males and females, were randomly divided into 8 groups. Osteoblasts were isolated from neonatal rat calvariae, and the cells were exposed to various concentrations of serum from OR and ORE groups to study the impact of these sera on osteoblastic proliferation, ALP activity and mineralization. Osteoclastic numbers were determined using tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). RESULTS: In vivo experiment: The body weight of the four OVX groups increased significantly (P<0.01). Uterine weight of the CE group was the highest (P<0.01); Compared with the model group, estrogen level, BMD, bone scanning/bone imaging index weight of the femoral bones, cortical thickness of femoral heads in the OR and ORE groups increased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01); femoral volume in the ORE group increased significantly (P<0.05); and the content of osteocalcin, phosphorus, and ALP in serum decreased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01). In vitro experiment: Sera from OR and ORE groups had notable effects on the proliferation of osteoblasts (P<0.05 and P<0.01, repsectively) and stimulated the formation of calcium nodes (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the enhancement of ALP activity in osteoblasts was significant (P<0.05, P<0.01). The number of TRAP-positive cells was significantly reduced as well (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: OR and its eggs could effectively suppress OVX-induced osteoporosis in rats, and increase bone turnover possibly by both an increase in osteoblastic activity and a decrease in osteoclastic activity. The present study provides evidence that OR and its eggs could be considered a complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Effects of Chinese Materia Medica-Fubao Danggui Jiao on experimental endometriosis.

The objective of this paper was to investigate the effects of a Chinese Materia Medica variant -Fubao Danggui Jiao (FDJ)-on experimental endometriosis. An endometriosis model was created by virtue of auto-transplantation of endometrial tissue onto rats' abdominal walls. The implants were allowed to grow for 30 days until the successful completion of the model. After that, forty endometriotic rats were randomly divided into four study groups and given different treatments: (1) negative control group (water, 2ml/kg, per os); (2) FDJ-A group (FDJ, 2ml/kg, per os); (3) FDJ-B group (FDJ, 4ml/kg, per os); (4) Danazol group (70mg/kg, per os). After 30 days with treatments, the volumes of endometriotic implants in each rat were measured. The implants and normal uterine horns were removed for routine histological examination. FDJ caused significant decreases in volumes of the surviving endometriotic implants, with two different doses having statistically equivalent effects. Upon histological examination, FDJ was observed to cause regression of epithelium and stroma of endometriotic implants. FDJ had revealed promising therapeutic effects on endometriosis.