Effect of Acupuncture on Expressions of Serum Hormones and PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signal Pathway in DOR Rats
Objective:To observe the effects of acupuncture on serum hormones,ovarian morphological changes,and protein expressions of p-PI3K,p-Akt and p-mTOR in ovarian tissues of rats with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR),and to explore the possible mechanism of acupuncture treatment for DOR.Methods:18 SPF grade SD female rats were randomly divided into the normal group,the model group and the acupuncture group,with 6 rats in each group.The DOR model was established by intraperitoneal injection of Cyclophosphamide.The normal group only received intraperitoneal injection of the same amount of normal saline.After modeling,the acupuncture group was treated with needling Shenshu(BL23),Guanyuan(RN4),Zhongji(RN3),Qihai(RN6),Taixi(KI3),bilateral Sanyinjiao(SP6),and bilateral Zigong(EX-CA1),with 20 minutes needle retention,once a day,a total of 21 times.The rats in the normal group and the model group were grabbed once a day for 21 days without any other intervention.The changes in serum hormones were compared among the groups.The morphological changes in the ovaries,the number of follicles and corpus luteum at different levels in the ovaries,and the thickness changes of the granulosa cell layer were observed by using HE staining method.The protein expressions of p-PI3K,p-Akt and p-mTOR in ovarian tissues were detected by immunohistochemical and Western blot.Results:Compared with those in the normal group,the serum levels of FSH and LH were increased(P＜0.05),the serum levels of E2 and AMH were decreased(P＜0.05),the number of follicles at all levels in ovarian tissues were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the protein expressions of PI3K,Akt and mTOR in ovarian tissues were increased in the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with those in the model group,the serum levels of FSH and LH were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the serum levels of E2 and AMH were significantly increased(P＜0.05),the number of follicles at all levels in ovarian tissues were significantly increased(P＜0.05),the protein expressions of p-PI3K,p-Akt and p-mTOR in ovarian tissues were decreased in the acupuncture group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Acupuncture can effectively improve ovarian reserve function and promote an increase in follicle count in DOR rats.The action mechanism may be related to regulating the protein expressions of p-PI3K,p-Akt and p-mTOR in ovarian tissues.
万方数据
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