Jianting Lao, Panwei Hu, Jia Li, Jiahui Li, Xiaole zhang, Hong Yang, Cong Qi

Acupuncture Combined with Bushen-Jianpi Decoction Ameliorates the Ovarian Function of Diminished Ovarian Reserve Rats by Regulating Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase/AKT Signaling

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Drug Discovery
  • General Medicine
Save to CiteDrive Show PDF

Objective: This study aimed to explore the therapeutic efficiency as well as mechanism of acupuncture combined with Bushen-Jianpi decoction (BJD) to treat rats with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). background: The pathogenesis of DOR may be related to age, genetic factors, immune factors, iatrogenic factors, metabolism, the environment, and other factors, and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has exhibited a unique effect in the treatment of DOR and POF. Acupuncture and moxibustion is one of the commonly used comprehensive TCM therapies to treat DOR. Methods: A DOR rat model was constructed using zona pellucida 3 peptide, and acupuncture, BJD, and their combination were administered as therapeutic interventions. We measured changes in the ovarian indexes, the number of follicles at all levels, the serum levels of sex hormones and immune factors, the expression levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT, p-AKT, and caspase-3, and the changes in the proportions of splenic T cell subtypes, including T-helper 17 (Th17), Tc17, regulatory T (Treg), CD4+, and CD8+ cells. objective: This study aimed to explore the therapeutic efficiency as well as mechanism of acupuncture combined with Bushen-Jianpi decoction (BJD) to treat rats with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Results: Acupuncture combined with BJD induced a decrease in the levels of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones, and the effect was greater than that elicited by BJD or acupuncture alone (P < 0.05). Additionally, this combination treatment effectively abrogated the increase in the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-17, anti-zona pellucida antibody, and cleaved caspase-3 (P < 0.05), while promoting the regulation of IL-6 and p-AKT (P < 0.01). Furthermore, treatment with acupuncture combined with BJD restored the proportions of CD4+ cells and the CD4+ / CD8+ T cell ratio (P < 0.01), decreased the proportion of CD8+ T and Th17 cells (P < 0.01), and increased the proportions of Tc17 and Treg cells (P < 0.01). method: A DOR rat model was constructed using zona pellucida 3 peptide, and acupuncture, BJD, and their combination were administered as therapeutic interventions. We measured changes in the ovarian indexes, the number of follicles at all levels, the serum levels of sex hormones and immune factors, the expression levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT, p-AKT, and caspase-3, and the changes in the proportions of splenic T cell subtypes, including T-helper 17 (Th17), Tc17, regulatory T (Treg), CD4+, and CD8+ cells. Conclusion: Combining acupuncture with BJD can enhance ovarian function in DOR rats. The regulation of sex hormone levels and immune function in rats may be attributed to the adjustment of the mRNA and proteins levels of PI3K, AKT, and caspase-3 in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which leads to an improvement in the immune function of DOR rats. result: Acupuncture combined with BJD induced a decrease in the levels of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones, and the effect was greater than that elicited by BJD or acupuncture alone. Additionally, this combination treatment effectively abrogated the increase in the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-17, and anti-zona pellucida antibody, while promoting the regulation of IL-6, p-AKT, and cleaved caspase-3. Furthermore, treatment with acupuncture combined with BJD restored the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as the CD4+ / CD8+ T cell ratio, decreased the proportion of Th17 cells, and increased the proportions of Tc17 and Treg cells.

Need a simple solution for managing your BibTeX entries? Explore CiteDrive!

  • Web-based, modern reference management
  • Collaborate and share with fellow researchers
  • Integration with Overleaf
  • Comprehensive BibTeX/BibLaTeX support
  • Save articles and websites directly from your browser
  • Search for new articles from a database of tens of millions of references
Try out CiteDrive

More from our Archive