6-Shogaol reduces progression of experimental endometriosis in vivo and in vitro via regulation of VGEF and inhibition of COX-2 and PGE2-mediated inflammatory responses

Endometriosis (EM) is one of the most common gynaecological disorder affecting women in their reproductive age. Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of EM remains poorly understood, however inflammatory responses have been reported to be significantly involved. The efficacy of 6-shogaol on proliferation of endometriotic lesions and inflammatory pathways in experimentally-induced EM model was explored in this study. EM was stimulated in Sprague-Dawley rats by implantation of autologous endometrium onto the peritoneum abdominal wall. Separate groups were treated with 6-shogaol (50, 100 or 150 mg/kg b.wt/day) via oral gavage for one month period. Gestrinone (GTN) group received GTN (0.5 mg/kg/day) as positive control. Five weeks after implantation, the spherical volume of ecto-uterine tissues was determined. Treatment with 6-shogaol significantly reduced the implant size. Histological analysis reported atrophy and regression of the lesions. 6-shogaol administration effectively down-regulated NF-κB signaling, VEGF and VEGFR-2 (Flk-1) expression in the endometriotic lesions. Excess production of IL-1β and IL-6 (pro-inflammatory cytokines), PGE2 and nitric oxide (NO) were reduced. Overall, the results of the study reveal the efficacy of 6-shogaol against endometriosis via effectively suppressing proliferation of the lesions and modulating angiogenesis and COX-2/NF-κB-mediated inflammatory cascades.

Clinical Observation of Methotrexate,Mifepristone Combined with Huayu Xiaozheng Decoction in the Treat-ment of Uterine Scar Pregnancy / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the efficacy and safety of methotrexate (MTX),Mifepristone combined with Huayu xiaozheng decoction in the treatment of uterine scar pregnancy. METHODS:86 patients with uterine scar pregnancy were randomly divided into control group(43 cases)and observation group(43 cases). Control group orally received 50 mg ultrasound-guided lo-cal injections of MTX,once a day+50 mg Mifepristone tablet,twice a day;observation group additionally received 100 ml Huayu xiaozheng decoction,twice a day with warm temperature. The treatment course for both groups was 15 d. Clinical efficacy,HCG levels,mass diameter before and after 7,14 and 28 d of treatment,and the incidence of adverse reactions in 2 groups were ob-served. RESULTS:The total effective rate in observation group was significantly higher than control group,the difference was sta-tistically significant(P0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Ultra-sound-guided local injections of MTX combined with Huayu xiaozheng decoction shows good efficacy and safety in the treatment of uterine scar pregnancy.