EFFECT OF SEED DECOCTION ON REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY AND TGF-Β1 IN INFERTILE RATS INDUCED BY OVULATION DISORDER

Xiaomin Shi¹, Xiaoxia Qiu², Xiaoyan Yang^{3, *}

¹Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2nd People's Hospital of Gansu Province, Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China - ²Department of Gynecology, 2nd People's Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China - ³Neonatal Medicine Room, Gansu Province Maternaland Child Health Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China

Purpose: To explore the effect of seed soup on reproductive endocrine and ovarian TGF-β/SMADS pathways in infertile rats caused by ovulation disorder to clarify its mechanism on such infertility.

Methods: Infertility was induced by testosterone propionate. Untreated rats were selected as the control group. The rats were randomly divided into the model and treatment groups. Serum levels of estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-generating hormone (FSH), androgen (T), prolactin (PRL), progesterone (P), and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) were detected by radioimmunoassay. The expressions of TGF-β1, Smad7, estrogen receptor α(Erα), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) in ovaries were detected by Western blot.

Results: The levels of serum P, PRL, E2, FSH, and LH in the model group were lower than in the control group. The levels of GnRH and T were higher than in the control group. These differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The levels of serum P, PRL, E2, FSH, and LH in the treatment group were higher than in the model group. The levels of GnRH and T were lower than in the model group. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expressions of ERα, LHR, and TGF-β1 in ovarian tissue in the model group were higher than in the control group. The expressions of FSHR and Smad7 were lower than in the control group. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expressions of ERα, LHR, and TGF-β1 in ovarian tissues in the treatment group were lower than in the model group, and the expressions of FSHR and Smad7 were significantly higher than in the model group (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Seed decoction improved reproductive endocrine regulation in infertile rats with ovulation disorder, which may be achieved through the TGF-β1/Smad7 signaling pathway in the granulosa cells of rat ovaries.