Effects of Spleen-Nourishing and Qi-Enriching Herbs on Ectopic Endometrial Adhesion Factors in Mice

Objective To evaluate the effects of spleen-nourishing and qi-enriching herbs on ectopic endometrium in mice of endometriosis and its adhension.Methods Enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP) transgenic and wide-type C57BL/6J mice were used to establish the mouse model of endometriosis.Then sodium chloride was given by gavage into the control and blank groups,while the herbal decoction was given by gavage to the treatment group.Two weeks later,all model mice were sacrificed and optical density of fluorescence of ectopic endometrium was calculated.The ectopic endometrium,uterus and ovaries were examined histologically and FCM analysis was performed to access cell apoptosis,Western blot and Real-time PCR were performed to access the expression of CD44 and ICAM-1(CD54) in the ectopic endometrium.Results Under fluorescent microscope,the green cake-like or punctiform ectopic endometrium were found between the intestines,under abdominal wall or under hepatic lobules or spleen in the model mice.The volume and optical density of fluorescence of ectopic endometrium of the control group were significantly higher than those in model group(P 0.01);the cell apoptosis of treatment and control groups was significantly higher than that of blank group(P 0.01).The expressions of CD44 and CD54 in treatment group was lower than the control one(P 0.05).Conclusion Spleen-nourishing and qi-enriching herbs can exert growth-inhibitory effects on ectopic endometrium of model mice possibly by reducing the expressions of ICAM-1 and CD44.