Xiao-Jie-An capsule (XJA), a traditional Chinese medicine formulation consisting of six herbal components, has been used to treat MGH for a long time. Aim of this study was to determine the therapeutical impact of XJA on an MGH rat model and the underlying mechanism. The MGH model was established by daily intramuscular injections of estradiol benzoate (0.5 mg/kg) for 25 days, then progesterone (5 mg/kg) for 5 days. Network pharmacological analysis and molecular biological assays were conducted to determine the pharmacological targets of XJA. XJA significantly reduced nipple height and diameter and effectively suppressed histopathological hallmarks of MGH. Additionally, XJA markedly decreased the expression of Ki67 and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, increased the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labelling and lowered the Bcl-2/Bax ratio in mammary tissue of MGH rats. Furthermore, XJA modulated endocrine disorder by reducing blood follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol (E2), while increasing luteinising hormone and androgen concentrations. Concomitant anti-inflammatory effects were found by decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α; inhibited TLR4 expression and attenuated NF-κB phosphorylation. Our experimental results suggest that XJA effectively mitigated oestrogen- and progesterone-induced MGH by modulating sex hormone levels and reducing inflammatory response.
Tang et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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