title: Potent therapeutic effects of shouwu jiangqi decoction on polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Shouwu Jiangqi Decoction (SJD) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with insulin resistance (IR) in rats and to explore the underlining molecular mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 51 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: control group (n=7), model group (n=8), SJD high-dose group (n=9), SJD medium-dose group (n=9), SJD low-dose group (n=9) and DMBG group (n=9). Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone concentrations and qRT-PCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of mRNA and protein respectively of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) p85α in different groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FSH level significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal control (P<0.01), and high-dose SJD and DMBG can significantly increase FSH level (P<0.01). LH level showed a mild increase without statistic significance in the model group compared with the control and different dosages of SJD had no significance effect on LH level, while DMBG can significantly decrease LH level (P<0.01). Testosterone level significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.01), and high-dose SJD and DMBG can significantly decrease testosterone level (P<0.01). The expression of IRS-1 as well as PI3Kp85α were significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal control group at both mRNA (P<0.001) and protein (P<0.01) level, and both high-dose SJD and DMBG can enhance IRS-1 and PI3K expression (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SJD has potent therapeutic effects on PCOS with IR in rats. The therapeutic effects of SJD on IR and ovulatory dysfunction are probably achieved through correcting the defective insulin signaling transduction.
authors.affiliation: Zhangjiagang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, 215600, China.
authors.forename: Li-hong
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China. njzywangxu@126.com.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The First Clinical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210046, China.
authors.forename: Xi-zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Zhangjiagang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, 215600, China.
authors.forename: Wen-ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007328:Insulin; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; C526296:Irs1 protein, rat; C000612394:shouwu jiangqi; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
keywords: Chinese medicine; insulin resistance; insulin signaling pathway; polycystic ovary syndrome