title: [Pulsatilla decoction inhibits vulvovaginal Candida albicans proliferation and reduces inflammatory cytokine levels in vulvovaginal candidiasis mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the possible regulatory effect of Pulsatilla decoction on Th17 cells and inflammatory cytokines of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two female Kunming mice were randomly assigned into six groups: a blank control group, a VVC model group, a fluconazole group and three Pulsatilla decoction groups (dose levels: 22.5, 15.0 and 7.5 g/kg, respectively). The VVC mouse models were established by vaginal inoculation with Candida albicans (C. albicans) in female mice in pseudoestrus state caused by estradiol injection. After 7-day treatment on VVC mice, the vaginal C. albicans burden was assessed using dilution spread plate method; the vaginal C. albicans morphology was observed by Gram staining method; the levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-17, IL-21 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in sera were detected by ELISA. The content of the transcription factor retinoid related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) in vaginal tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VVC mouse models were successfully developed. After treatment, the vaginal C. albicans burden of the fluconazole group and 22.5 g/kg Pulsatilla decoction group dropped significantly compared with that of the VVC model group. Gram staining showed that the VVC mice had lots of C. albicans hyphae in vaginal discharge, that 7.5 g/kg Pulsatilla decoction group remained the mycelia-phase C. albicans, and that 15.0 g/kg Pulsatilla decoction group had the majority of yeast-phase C. albicans and a few of mycelia-phase, while no hyphae and only very few of yeast-phase C. albicans were observed in 22.5 g/kg Pulsatilla decoction group and fluconazole group. After 7-day treatment, compared with the model group, the levels of IL-6, IL- 17, IL-21 and TNF-α in the sera of the fluconazole group, 15.0 and 22.5 g/kg Pulsatilla decoction groups were reduced significantly and the levels of RORγt in the vaginal tissues of the fluconazole group, 15.0 and 22.5 g/kg Pulsatilla decoction groups also decreased significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulsatilla decoction could inhibit the proliferation of vulvovaginal C. albicans and reduces the levels of inflammatory cytokines in VVC mice.
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Mengxiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Gaoxiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Daqiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Tianming
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China. *Corresponding author, E-mail: ahwcz63@sina.com.
authors.forename: Changzhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031946:Pulsatilla / Q000737:chemistry*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D020381:Interleukin-17; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015725:Fluconazole; D000098546:Interleukin-21