Lian Fang et al, Zhong Xi Yi He Xue Bao 2009 Feb;15(1):42-46 Chinese Journal of Integrated Medicine
A chinese herb formula for endometriosis was given to women with long term infertility and endometriosis before and during an IVF cycle and various ovarian parameters were compared with a group of women with endometriosis who embarked on IVF directly without taking the herbs. The group who took the herbs produced more eggs and had a higher fertilisation rate (although a difference in pregnancy rate was not reported). Additionally the follicles of the women who took the herbs showed a reduced level of inflammatory cytokines compared to the women in the control group.
Abstract
Objective
To observe the effect of Quyu Jiedu Granules (QJG) on the microenvironment of ova in patients with endometriosis (EM).
Methods
Twenty EM patients who received in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were randomized equally into a treated group and a control group.Further, 20 patients who received IVF-ET due to oviduct factors were enrolled into a non-endometriosis group.The dosage of gonadotrophic hormone used, the number of ova attained, fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy rate were all observed, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in follicular fluid as well as their mRNA expressions in ovarian granular cells were detected by RT-PCR on the very day of ovum attainment.
Results
The ova attainment (13.80±6.87) and fertilization rate (0.69±0.31) in the treated group were all higher than the corresponding values in the control group (9.80±5.32 and 0.47±0.22); the follicular fluid contents of TNF-α and IL-6 in the treated group were 1.38±0.21 ng/mL and 130.56±12.81 pg/mL, respectively, which were lower than those in the control group (1.98±0.34 ng/mL and 146.83±17.65 pg/mL, respectively). Further, the treated group showed much lower mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-6 in ovarian granular cells.
Conclusions
The elevation of TNF-α and IL-6 contents in follicular fluid and their mRNA expressions in ovarian granular cells are possibly related to the low quality of ova in EM; QJG might raise the ova quality by reducing TNF-α and IL-6 levels to improve the living micro-environment for the ova.