OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Bushen Yiqi Huoxue Recipe (BYHR, a Chinese medical prescription for reinforcing Shen, replenishing qi and promoting blood circulation) on placental trophoblast apoptosis in fetal growth restricted (FGR) pregnant rat for the sake of explore its mechanism of action in treating FGR.

METHODSFGR animal model was established by passive smoking, 32 pregnant rats were divided into four groups at random: the normal group, the model group, the Chinese medicine (CM) group (model rats treated by BYHR) and the Western medicine (WM) group (model rats treated by arginine). The histological change of placenta was examined with HE stain, the trophoblast apoptosis was detected by TUNEL and RT-PCR, and the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in the placenta were detected by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSBlood stasis and villous ischemia were seen in placenta of FGR model rats. Placental microcirculation was significantly improved in the CM group, but in the WM group only partially improved. The median apoptotic index of syncytial trophoblast cells in the four groups, in normal, model, CM, and WM order, was 45%, 75%, 57% and 70%, as compared with the model group, it was much lower in the normal group and the CM group (P < 0.01), but a similar level was shown in the WM group. No significant difference in mRNA and protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax was found among the four groups.

CONCLUSIONBYHR can improve the placental microcirculation in FGR rats to prevent excessive apoptosis through a mechanism other than the classical Bax/Bcl-2 apoptotic pathway, which needs further exploring.