Effect of different ingredients in traditional Korean medicine for human uterine leiomyoma on normal myometrial and leiomyomal smooth muscle cell proliferation

Abstract

Crude water extracts of 13 traditional Korean medicinal ingredients used for leiomyomal treatment were prepared and used to treat human uterine normal myometrial and leiomyomal cell cultures. All the ingredients inhibited proliferation and altered the morphology of both myometrial and leiomyomal cells. Among the 13 ingredients, n-hexane-, chloroform-, and ethylacetate-soluble fractions were extracted from seven ingredients that potently inhibited cell proliferation in their water extract form. Among these, the ethylacetate-fraction of Phlomis umbrosa and Spatholobus suberectus, and the chloroform-fraction of Curcuma zedoaria and S. suberectus inhibited leiomyomal cell proliferation significantly compared to myometrial cell proliferation. Similarly, immunohistochemical analysis showed the inhibition of transforming growth factor-beta receptor 2 in leiomyomal tissue after treatment with the fractions of the ingredients. Moreover, the chloroform-fraction of C. zedoaria was subfractionated by open column chromatography. Two of the eight subfractions (fractions 6 and 7) potently inhibited cell proliferation in leiomyoma compared to myometrium. Further study will be performed with the goal of isolating specific compounds from two effective subfractions of C. zedoaria, ethylacetate-fraction of P. umbrosa, and the ethylacetate and chloroform-fractions of S. suberectus. The present study may be helpful in developing an alternative remedy to leiomyoma with minimal side-effects compared to the current treatments.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Pathogenesis and Clinical Manifestations of Uterine Leiomyoma

“…Promising therapeutics that inhibit TGF-β function include leuprolide acetate, 56 epigallocatechin gallate, 57 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, 58 Ro 41-0960, 33 genestein, 59 halofuginone, 60 rosiglitazone, 61 asoprisnil, 62 and various Korean medicinal ingredients. 63 Future studies to rapidly assess which of these compounds has the greatest impact on TGF-β function and ECM formation in formed leiomyomas might result in advances in the management of ULMs. 64…”

Transcriptional profiling of uterine leiomyoma rats treated by a traditional herb pair, Curcumae rhizoma and Sparganii rhizoma

“…It possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities and responds to multiple regulation of signaling pathways for ECM deposition (18), cell cycle arrest (19), and UL process (20). Moreover, TCM has long established the concise and synergistic effects of C. rhizoma and S. rhizoma , and, as a consequence, a compound with both was developed for UL therapies (21). Couplet medicines in TCM concept refer to two herbs that exhibit synergistic pharmaceutical and/or detoxic activities.…”

Effects of herbal medicine on human uterine tumor-bearing nude mice

“…These effects may be due to fatty acid esters [ 13 ] and flavonoid glycosides [ 14 ] extracted from Trogopterus feces, which have been proven to possess anticoagulative activity. The anticancer activities of Trogopterus feces have been determined by deferred proliferation and more obvious changes of leiomyomal cells, which is probably through downregulation of TGF-β receptor 2 [ 15 ]. As a key profibrotic cytokine, elevated expressions of TGF-βs, their receptors, and related signaling pathways are common characteristics in leiomyoma [ 16 ].…”