Effect of Taoren-Quyu decoction on endometriosis in rats

Purpose: To study the effect of traditional Chinese Medicine formula Taoren-Quyu decoction (TQD) on endometriosis. Method: Fifty female Wistar rats were randomly separated into five groups (10 rats/group): normal control, model (untreated) group, positive control (danazol), 200 mg/kg/day (low dose) or 400 mg/kg/day (high dose). All rats were prepared into endometriosis except for normal control rats. TDQ groups rats were orally administered of TQD for 5 weeks. After treatment, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The number of total endometriotic lesions were counted. Serum levels of cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), interleukin 13 (IL-13), interleukin 18 (IL-18) and peritoneal fluid tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-α) were measured by ELISA kits. Result: Compared with control rats, TQD reduced the number of total endometriotic lesions significantly (12.7 ± 1.2, p < 0.01), as well as serum levels of CA-125 (6.4 ± 1.2 U/mL), IL-18 (118.6 ± 7.4 pg/mL), IL13 (6.3 ± 0.8 pg/mL) and peritoneal fluid TNF-α (231.5 ± 11.7 pg/mL) (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The results reveal that TQD exerts anti-endometriotic effect in rats by inhibiting inflammatory factors. Therefore, TQD has potentials for use in the treatment of endometriosis.