title: [Effects of compound malt pills on expressions of ERα and ERβ in ovaries of rats with letrozole-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of compound malt pills (CMP) on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) rat model induced by letrozole and the underlying mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  To establish a PCOS rat model, 48 female SD rats aged 6 weeks were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=8): A normal group, a model control group, a positive control group, a low-dose CMP group, a middle-dose CMP group, and a high-dose CMP group. Rats were treated for 21 days after the PCOS model was successfully established. Ovarian morphology changes were observed, and the expressions of ERα and ERβ was examined by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the normal group, the number of follicular cystic dilatation in the model control group was increased and the granulosa cells were decreased. After the treatment, the number of follicular cystic dilatation was reduced compared with the model control group, but the primordial follicles, corpus luteum and granulosa cells were increased. The expressions of ERα and ERβ in the model control group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), which were increased in the intervention groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMP may play a role in the treatment of PCOS by regulating the expressions of ERα and ERβ.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Yangbojun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D000077289:Letrozole; D009570:Nitriles / Q000009:adverse effects; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014230:Triazoles / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D009570:Nitriles; D014230:Triazoles; D000077289:Letrozole