Effect of Kidney-Tonifying and Blood-Activating Herbal Medicines on Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Levels in Human Endometrium of Anovulatory Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding Patients

【Objective】To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Chinese herbal medicine and western medicine in treat- ing anovulatory dysfunctional uterine bleeding (ADUB). 【Methods】Eleven cases of infertility with regular menstruation were in blank control group (Group A); 37 cases of ADUB were randomized into two groups: Group B was treated with Gongxue Yin and Group C with progesterone. Serum levels of estrogen (E_2) and progesterone (P), and levels of estro- gen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) in human endometrium were detected with enzyme immunoassay method and solid-phase semi-quantitative immunohistochemical method. 【Results】 Serum E_2 level and ER and PR levels in endometrium were higher in ADUB than those in Group A; ER and PR levels were in the decreasing sequence in ADUM with simple hyperplasia, hyperplasia and complex hyperplasia of endometrium. After treatment, serum E_2 level and ER and PR levels in endometrium were decreased in Group C; ER and PR levels were also decreased in Group B while serum E_2 level remained unchanged. 【Conclusion】The therapeutic mechanism of Chinese herbal medicine in treating ADUB is different from western medicine; it is related to the regulation of synthesis of ER and PR through the down-regulation of non-steroid hormones, not by decreasing the serum E_2 level.