Prevention of polycystic ovary syndrome and postmenopausal osteoporosis by inhibiting apoptosis with Shenling Baizhu powder compound

PeerJ. 2022 Oct 28:10:e13939. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13939. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Objective: Shenling Baizhu powder (SBP) has been shown to reverse the abnormal expression of the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) mediated by air pollution. Our study aimed to understand the main ingredient of SBP and investigate its action mechanism in preventing polycystic ovary syndrome (POCS) and postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO).

Methods: The active ingredients of SBP with the highest binding affinity to AHR were screened using a Chinese medicine database, and their binding mechanism was simulated using molecular dynamics simulation (MDS). Rutin was utilized to treat ovarian granulosa cell lines and osteoblast cell lines. The cell lines were treated with a gradient of rutin concentration (0.01 mmol/L, 0.05 mmol/L and 0.1 mmol/L) to find the optimal drug dose. PCR was used to detect AHR and apoptosis-related proteins, and WB to detect the expression of AHR, caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3. Finally, the CCK-8 cell proliferation assay detected the proliferation of cells.

Results: We obtained Rutin through the Chinese medicine database, and dynamics simulation determined its binding sites. Ovarian granulosa cell lines and osteoblast cell lines were treated with Rutin. RT-PCR and western blotting revealed that the expression of apoptosis-associated protein Bcl-2 was elevated, and the expression of AHR, Bax, caspase-3 and PARP were decreased. CCK-8 results showed accelerated proliferation in both cell types.

Conclusion: Rutin, the main ingredient of SBP compound, works by binding to AHR, which can improve POCS and PMO by inhibiting cell apoptosis and by promoting cell proliferation.

Keywords: Aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR); Cell apoptosis; Polycystic ovary syndrome (POCS); Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO); Shenling Baizhu powder compound.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Caspase 3
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal* / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal* / drug therapy
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome* / drug therapy
  • Powders

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Baizhu
  • Caspase 3
  • Powders
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant number 82104921), the Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (The CACMS Fund, Grant number CI2021A02405), the Project of Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Y2019-14, and the Project of Hebei Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine: 2018077. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.