[Comparison of the effects of sanjie zhentong capsule and danazol on the endometriosis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of sanjie zhentong capsule (SZC) and danazol on rats with endometriosis (EMT). METHODS: Totally 48 adult female Lewis rats were selected, 12 as the blank control group, and the rest 36 rats in the estrus cycle were used to establish the EMT model. After modeling they were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e., the model control group, the SZC treatment group, and the danazol treatment group, 12 in each group. Four weeks later the focus was measured by a second laparotomy. The normal saline at 1 mL/day was administered to rats in the model control group, SZC at 86.4 mg/day to those in the SZC treatment group, and danazol at 7.2 mg/day to those in the danazol treatment group. All the treatment lasted for 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment, a third laparotomy was performed to measure the size of focus. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected using immunohistochemical assay. The cell apoptosis rate was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). The concentration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the peritoneal fluid and the serum were detected using ELISA. RESULTS: There was statistical difference in the change of the focus volume between the SZC treatment group (-23.27 +/- 18.18) and the danazol treatment group (-12.28 +/- 10.04) and the model control group (13.97 +/- 7.54, P < 0.01). The expression of ectopic PCNA significantly decreased and the positive expression rate of TUNEL obviously increased in the two treatment groups when compared with the model control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The expression of ectopic PCNA decreased and the positive expression rate of TUNEL increased more obviously in the SZC treatment group than in the danazol treatment group (P < 0.01). The concentration of PGE2 in the peritoneal fluid and the serum was significantly lower in the two treatment group when compared with the model control group (P < 0.01). The concentration of PGE2 in the peritoneal fluid and the serum was significantly lower in the SZC treatment group than in the danazol treatment group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SZC and danazol both could inhibit the focus growth in EMT rats. SZC showed better effects. It was an effective drug for treating EMT.