Study on the Phytoestrogenic Effects of SiWu Decoction and its Ingredient Herbs

Objective:To investigate the phytoestrogenic-like effects of SiWu Decoction and its ingredient herbs.Method:Immature female SD rats weighting (70±5)g were randomly divided into seven groups:normal control group,positive control group and five Chinese medicine groups.The rats in different groups were treated for four days.On the fifth day,animals were sacrificed and uteri were separated and weighed.The blood was collected,and serum was separated.The effects of the pharmacological serum on proliferation assay with human breast cancer cell line(MCF-7)were observed by MTT assay.Cell-cycle analyses were performed with propidium iodide staining by flow cytometry.The expressions of subtypes-estrogen receptor α(ERα)were detected by flow cytometry.Results:Radix rehmanniae preparata,Radix paeoniae alba and Radix angelicae sinensis could increase the immature rats′ uterus wet weight and the ratio of uterus to body weight(P0.05).SiWu Decoction and Rhizoma chuanxiong could not increase the immature rats′ uterus wet weight and the ratio of uterus to body weight(P0.05).The pharmacological serum of Radix paeoniae alba,Radix angelicae sinensis and Rhizoma chuanxiong stimulated proliferation of MCF-7 cell respectively compared with normal control group(P0.01).The pharmacological serum of Radix rehmanniae preparata stimulated proliferation of MCF-7 cell compared with normal control group(P0.05).The amount of cell in Phase S and proliferation index increased with the serum of Radix rehmanniae preparata,Radix angelicae sinensis and Rhizoma chuanxiong(P0.01).Proliferation index increased with the serum of Radix paeoniae alba(P0.05).The pharmacological serum of SiWu Decoction could,to a certain extent,increase the amount of MCF-7 cells when its ingredients were at the specific ratio.However,no statistical significance was detected(P0.05).The pharmacological serum of Radix angelicae sinensis and Rhizoma chuanxiong could increase the expressions of subtypes-estrogen receptor α(ERα)(P0.05).Conclusion:Radix rehmanniae preparata,Radix paeoniae alba and Radix angelicae sinensis possess phytoestrogenic effects.SiWu Decoction possesses less phytoestrogenic effects than each of its ingredients when the ingredients of the decoction were at the specific ratio.