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African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines
African Ethnomedicines Network
ISSN: 0189-6016
Vol. 14, No. 6, 2017, pp. 90-101
Bioline Code: tc17160
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge

African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, Vol. 14, No. 6, 2017, pp. 90-101

 en PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF CISTANCHES HERBA AQUEOUS EXTRACT ON CISPLATIN-INDUCED PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE IN MICE
Pan, Pengyu; Wang, Ying; Leng, Xue; Deng, Jinfang & Wang, Chun

Abstract

Background: Chemotherapeutic treatment of premenopausal women has been linked to premature ovarian failure (POF). Cistanches Herba (CH) is a commonly used male impotence and female infertility treatment in China; however, whether CH protects ovaries from chemotherapeutic drug-induced POF remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of CH in a mouse model of chemotherapeutic drug-induced POF. Materials and
Methods: We administered low- and high-concentration CH to cisplatin-induced POF mice for 2 weeks and determined body and ovarian weights, as well as serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol concentrations, to evaluate ovarian function. In addition, we evaluated the protective mechanisms of CH by detecting the levels of apoptosis-related proteins and evaluating markers of mitochondrial function.
Results: In POF mice, we observed reduced body and ovarian weights; elevated serum FSH and attenuated estradiol concentrations; apoptosis of ovarian granulosa with concomitant changes in apoptosis-related proteins (including caspase-3, poly adenosine diphosphate-ribose polymerase, Bcl-2, and Bax); and mitochondrial dysfunction, such as a reduction in mitochondrial numbers, destruction of ultrastructural morphology, decrease in ATPase activity, and decreases in mitochondrial membrane potential and mitofusin-2 (a mitochondria dynamin-like GTPase). Significantly, CH reversed, to an extent, functional and morphologic injuries and ovarian tissue apoptosis by up-regulating the level of Mfn2 and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. Furthermore, CH reduced cisplatin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in ovarian tissues.
Conclusion: The present findings showed that CH inhibited cisplatin-induced POF through interactions between Mfn2 and Bcl-2/Bax proteins and, possibly, by up-regulation of Mfn2 expression. Ultimately, CH protects ovarian tissues from cisplatin-induced apoptosis.

Keywords
Premature ovarian failure (POF); Cistanches Herba (CH); Cisplatin; Apoptosis; Mitofusin-2

 
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