title: Steroidogenic effect of Erxian decoction for relieving menopause via the p-Akt/PKB pathway in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Erxian decoction (EXD), an empirical Chinese medicine formula, is effectively used in the clinical treatment of menopause-related symptoms in China. Previous data from our group show that EXD has steroidogenic effect on natural menopausal Sprague-Dawley-rats (SD-rats) as an animal model of menopause. However, the mechanistic studies on steroidogenic effects of EXD are still inadequate. Hence, the mechanisms of steroidogenic effects of EXD were studied in vitro and in vivo in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Menopause causes a decline of endocrine function and a series of symptoms. In this study, 16-20-month-old female SD rats with a low serum estradiol level were employed. Their endocrine functions after treatment with EXD (4.1g/kg) were assessed by determination of their serum estradiol level. Proteins involved in the steroidogenic pathway including StAR, 17βHSD, 3βHSD, aromatase, and activation of phosphorylated Protein Kinase B (p-Akt/PKB), as well as estradiol receptor proteins (ERα & ERβ) after EXD treatment were analyzed. Kinase inhibition assay was conducted to confirm the mechanism of steroidogenic effects of EXD in vitro. MCF-7 and BT-483 cells were used to investigate whether EXD stimulated breast cancer cell proliferation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results revealed a significantly ameliorated serum estradiol level, and a significantly increased expression of ovarian aromatase and PKB in the EXD-treated rats. EXD attenuated 17β-estradiol stimulated proliferation of breast cancer cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained from immunoblotting and measurements of serum estradiol level of the present investigation revealed that EXD may relieve the menopausal syndrome through an upregulation of ovarian aromatase and p-PKB expression without stimulating the growth of breast cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: u3003161@connect.hku.hk.
authors.forename: Shi Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: bunnub@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ho Pan
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: tongyao@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: annybj@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: b021770@mailserv.cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Tzi Bun
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: ybzhang@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Yan Bo
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: zhangzj@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Zhang-Jin
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: ckflee@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Kai Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: jkwlam@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Jenny Ka Wing
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 10 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Electronic address: stephens@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Stephen Cho Wing
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sze
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008593:Menopause / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; C517980:er-xian decoction; D004958:Estradiol; D001141:Aromatase; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
keywords: Breast cancer; Erxian decoction; Menopause; Steroidogenic; p-PKB