Therapeutic Potential of Wenshen Xiaozheng Tang, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescription, for Treating Endometriosis:

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of Wenshen Xiaozheng Tang (WXT) on the development of endometriosis in a rat model. Sprague-Dawley rats in which endometriotic implants were induced were divided randomly into 3 groups. The rats in the low-dose and high-dose WXT groups were administered WXT 8.57 and 17.14 g/kg/d, respectively. The rats in the control groups received an equal volume of dissolvent, as did the sham-operated rats. After treatment for 4 weeks, WXT significantly decreased the mean lesion size as well as the peritoneal fluid and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β. Cyclooxygenase-2, matrix metalloproteinase 9, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were downregulated, and the mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 was upregulated in the endometriotic lesions of WXT versus control group. Our data suggested that WXT may suppress the development of endometriosis by inhibit...