Effect of long-term application of puerarin on vaginal wall structure of ovariectomized rats

Objective:To observe the effect of long-term application of puerarin on vaginal wall structure of ovariectomized rats,provide a experimental basis for treating type Ⅰ osteoporosis by combination therapy of puerarin and estrogen.Methods:Forty healthy female rats of five months old were randomly divided into five experimental groups,eight rats in each group:sham operation group,ovariectomized model group,puerarin-50 group(the rats were treated with subcutaneous injection of puerarin(50 mg/kg),once a day),estradiol-200 group(the rats were treated with subcutaneous injection of estradiol(200 μg/kg),twice a week),puerarin-25 plus estradiol-100 group(the rats were treated with subcutaneous injection of puerarin(25 mg/kg,once a day) plus estradiol(100 μg/kg,twice a week)),except sham operation group,ovariectomized rat models were established in the other four groups.The serum and vaginal wall samples were obtained on the twentieth weeks,the changes of serum estradiol levels and vaginal wall structures in the five groups were observed.Results:The serum estradiol level,vaginal epithelial thickness and myometrial thickness in ovariectomized model group were significantly lower than those in the other four groups(P0.05).The serum estradiol level,vaginal epithelial thickness and myometrial thickness in estradiol-200 group were significantly higher than those in the other four groups(P0.05).The serum estradiol level in puerarin-25 plus estradiol-100 group was significantly higher than that in puerarin-50 group(P0.05),but there was no significant difference in the vaginal epithelial thickness and myometrial thickness between the two groups(P0.05).Conclusion:High-dose estradiol can promote hyperplasia of vaginal epithelium and myometrium among ovariectomized rats obviously;the impacts of low-dose estradiol combined with puerarin,high-dose puerarin on hyperplasia of vaginal epithelium and myometrium among ovariectomized rats are not obvious.