Effects of Taohe Chengqi Decoction on PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in ovary tissue of rats with polycystic ovary syndrome

doi:10.11958/20221420

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To explore the effect of Taohe Chengqi Decoction on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in ovarian tissue of a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods Ninety-six female SD rats were randomly divided into the control group, the PCOS group, the metformin group, the Taohe Chengqi Decoction low, medium and high dose groups, with 16 rats in each group. Except for the control group, the PCOS model was constructed by subcutaneous injection of dehydroepiandrosterone in the other groups. After successful model building, the metformin group was given 0.1 g/kg metformin by gavage, and the Taohe Chengqi Decoction low, medium and high dose groups were given 1.89 g/kg, 3.78 g/kg and 7.56 g/kg Taohe Chengqi Decoction by gavage, respectively. The control group and the PCOS group were given the same amount of normal saline by gavage, 1 time/d for 28 days. The fasting blood glucose (FPG) level was measured by blood glucose meter. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E₂), testosterone (T) and fasting insulin (FINS). Insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Hematoxylin eosin staining was used to observe the histopathology of rat ovary. The mRNA and protein expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in rat ovarian tissue were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot assay. Results Compared with the control group, the volume of follicles increased, contained follicular fluid, and the cell space increased, corpus luteum decreased, and the cell layer of theca proliferated, serum FSH, E₂, mRNA and protein expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in ovarian tissue were decreased, and levels of LH, T, FPG, FINS and HOMA-IR were increased in the PCOS group (P<0.05). In the metformin group and the Taohe Chengqi Decoction low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups, the volume of follicles decreased, the number of corpus luteum increased, and the proliferation of alveolar cell layer decreased. Serum levels of FSH, E₂, mRNA and protein expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in ovarian tissue were increased, and levels of LH, T, FPG, FINS and HOMA-IR were decreased (P<0.05). Changes of above indexes were dose-dependent in the low, medium and high dose groups of Taohe Chengqi Decoction. There were significant differences in changes of above indexes between the Taohe Chengqi Decoction low, medium-dose groups and the metformin group. There was no significant difference between the high-dose of Taohe Chengqi Decoction group and the metformin group. Conclusion Taohe Chengqi Decoction can restore normal levels of sex hormones and inhibit insulin resistance in PCOS model rats, which may be related to its promotion of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway activation.

Key words: Taohe Chengqi Decoction, polycystic ovary syndrome, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, serine/threonine protein kinase B, mammalian target of rapamycin

CLC Number:

R285.5

Figures/Tables 7

References 21

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基因名称	引物序列（5′→3′）	产物大小（bp）
PI3K	上游：GCCTGCTCTGTAGTGGTAGATG	326
	下游：GGAGGTGTGTTGGTAATGTAGC	326
AKT	上游：CTGAGATGATGGAGGTAGCG	264
	下游：CCGAGGAGTTTGAGATAATCG	264
mTOR	上游：GCTTATCAAGCAAGCGACATCTCA	206
	下游：TCCACTGGAAGCACAGACCAAG	206
GAPDH	上游：ATCCGTTGTGGATCTGACATG	311
	下游：CAAAGGTGGAAGAATGGGAGT	311

基因名称	引物序列（5′→3′）	产物大小（bp）
PI3K	上游：GCCTGCTCTGTAGTGGTAGATG	326
	下游：GGAGGTGTGTTGGTAATGTAGC	326
AKT	上游：CTGAGATGATGGAGGTAGCG	264
	下游：CCGAGGAGTTTGAGATAATCG	264
mTOR	上游：GCTTATCAAGCAAGCGACATCTCA	206
	下游：TCCACTGGAAGCACAGACCAAG	206
GAPDH	上游：ATCCGTTGTGGATCTGACATG	311
	下游：CAAAGGTGGAAGAATGGGAGT	311

组别	FSH（IU/L）	LH（IU/L）	E₂（pmol/L）	T（ng/L）
对照组	3.50±0.68	11.08±1.14	24.14±3.25	17.92±3.38
PCOS组	1.03±0.34^a	18.91±1.42^a	6.03±0.98^a	86.36±6.20^a
二甲双胍组	3.41±0.45^b	11.39±1.40^b	22.94±2.36^b	18.76±5.33^b
低剂量组	1.76±0.38^bc	16.24±1.03^bc	10.20±1.35^bc	60.52±5.79^bc
中剂量组	2.56±0.40^bcd	14.03±1.26^bcd	16.03±1.52^bcd	41.75±4.20^bcd
高剂量组	3.39±0.41^bde	11.20±1.04^bde	21.09±2.06^bde	20.01±4.92^bde
F	80.629^＊＊	111.039^＊＊	204.619^＊＊	488.227^＊＊

组别	FSH（IU/L）	LH（IU/L）	E₂（pmol/L）	T（ng/L）
对照组	3.50±0.68	11.08±1.14	24.14±3.25	17.92±3.38
PCOS组	1.03±0.34^a	18.91±1.42^a	6.03±0.98^a	86.36±6.20^a
二甲双胍组	3.41±0.45^b	11.39±1.40^b	22.94±2.36^b	18.76±5.33^b
低剂量组	1.76±0.38^bc	16.24±1.03^bc	10.20±1.35^bc	60.52±5.79^bc
中剂量组	2.56±0.40^bcd	14.03±1.26^bcd	16.03±1.52^bcd	41.75±4.20^bcd
高剂量组	3.39±0.41^bde	11.20±1.04^bde	21.09±2.06^bde	20.01±4.92^bde
F	80.629^＊＊	111.039^＊＊	204.619^＊＊	488.227^＊＊

组别	FPG（mmoL/L）	FINS（mIU/L）	HOMA-IR
对照组	5.59±0.38	64.17±5.10	15.94±2.21
PCOS组	7.80±0.33^a	124.23±7.86^a	43.07±3.28^a
二甲双胍组	5.66±0.35^b	68.30±6.24^b	17.18±2.52^b
低剂量组	7.01±0.30^bc	101.25±5.33^bc	31.55±3.76^bc
中剂量组	6.42±0.41^bcd	85.00±6.27^bcd	24.25±2.02^bcd
高剂量组	5.69±0.40^bde	70.02±7.30^bde	17.71±3.43^bde
F	97.499^＊＊	212.257^＊＊	209.213^＊＊