Effects of Bushen Tiaojing Formula （补肾调经方） on Blastocyst Cell Apoptosis and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Repeated Controlled Ovarian Stimulation Model Mice
10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2025.15.012
- VernacularTitle:补肾调经方对重复控制性卵巢刺激模型小鼠囊胚细胞凋亡及内质网应激的影响
- Author:
Wenyan XIONG
1
;
Beibei SHI
1
;
Lulu SHEN
1
;
Huilan DU
1
Author Information
1. School of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine，Hebei University of Chinese Medicine，Shijiazhuang，050200
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
infertility;
repetitive controlled ovarian stimulation;
blastocysts;
endoplasmic reticulum stress;
apoptosis;
Bushen Tiaojing Formula （补肾调经方）
- From:
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2025;66(15):1579-1587
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Bushen Tiaojing Formula （补肾调经方） on the quality of early embryos in repeated controlled ovarian stimulation （COS） and its possible mechanism. MethodsA total of 150 ICR female mice were divided into a normal group， a model group， an inhibitor group， a low-dose and a high-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula group. Mice in the normal group， inhibitor group and model group were gavaged with distilled water 0.25 ml a day， and mice in the low- and high-dose groups were given 25.6 and 51.2 g/（kg·d） of Bushen Tiaojing Formula， respectively. All groups were gavaged once a day for 13 days as a cycle. Mice in the normal group were injected intraperitoneally with 0.1 ml normal saline on the 11th day of gavage， while mice in the other four groups were used to establish COS models. The inhibitor group was injected with the endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor 4-phenylbutyric acid 0.2 ml one hour before modelling. All groups were injected by gavage and intraperitoneal injection for 3 consecutive cycles， with an interval of 4 days between cycles. Immediately after the third intraperitoneal injection， mice were grouped with male mice of the same strain in a ratio of 2∶1， and at 8AM of the second day， the mice were examined， and those with spermatozoa or spermatozoa in the vaginal smears were recorded as pregnant. The mice were executed in the afternoon of the 4th day of pregnancy， and the blastocysts were obtained under an inverted microscope. The morphology of the blastocysts was observed， and the total number of blastocysts and the number of high-quality blastocysts were recorded to calculate the rate of high-quality blastocysts； the apoptosis of blastocyst cells was detected by the Tunel method， and the apoptosis rate was calculated； the endoplasmic reticulum molecular chaperone protein glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， B-lymphoblastoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cystathionin 3 （Caspase-3） and cystathionin 12 （Caspase-12） protein levels and their mRNA expression were detected by immunofluorescent assay and RT-qPCR assay， respectively. ResultsIn the normal group， blastocysts had regular morphology， good morphological development and low fragmentation rate； in the model group， blastocysts were poorly developed， cell morphology was irregular， fragmentation rate was high， and there was some stagnation； in the inhibitor group and high-dose， low-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula groups， cell morphology could be seen to be better developed， with regular morphology and less fragmentation rate. Compared with the normal group， the rate of high-quality blastocysts in the model group reduced， the rate of apoptosis of blastocyst cells increased， the levels of GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， Caspase-3， Bax protein and its mRNA expression in blastocysts increased， while the level of Bcl-2 protein and its mRNA reduced （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， the rate of high-quality blastocysts increased， the rate of apoptosis of blastocysts decreased， the levels of GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， Caspase-3， Bax protein and their mRNA expression decreased， and the levels of Bcl-2 protein and its mRNA expression increased in the blastocysts in the inhibitor group and the high-dose and low-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula groups （P＜0.01）. Compared with the inhibitor group， GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， Bax protein levels and their mRNA expressions increased in the high-dose Bushen Tiaojing Formula group， and Caspase-12， Caspase-3， Bax protein levels and their mRNA expressions increased in the low-dose formula group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionBushen Tiaojing Formula can inhibit the apoptosis of blastocyst cells caused by repeated controlled ovarian stimulation by improving endoplasmic reticulum stress， which plays a role in improving the quality of early embryos.
