Abstract:Objective: To explore the mechanism of inhibitory effect of SLW on estrogen production by endometrial cells of endometriosis.Method: After the model of eutopic primary cultured endometrial cells of endometiosis and hysteromyoma in vitro was successfully established,the changes of steroidgenic factor-1(SF-1),chicken ovalbumin upstream-transcription factor(COUP-TF),17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1(17-β-HSD1)and 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2(17-β-HSD 2)mRNA were detected by RT-PCR before and after treatment of medicated serum of SLW.The changes of SF-1 and COUP-TF protein were also observed by western blot synchronously according to the same treatment method mentioned-above.Meanwhile,the data of hysteromyoma group was obtained from the above experiments.Result: The expression of SF-1 mRNA and protein,17-β-HSD1 mRNA was weak,but COUP-TF mRNA and protein,17-β-HSD2 mRNA was remarkable in Hysteromyoma endometrium,as compared with those of endometiosis,which was taken as control group(P<0.01).After the 48 hours‘ treatment of medicated serum of 5.0,2.5 g·kg-1·d-1 of SLW,the expression of COUP-TF mRNA and protein,17-β-HSD 2 mRNA was found significantly increased,but SF-1 mRNA and protein,17-β-HSD 1 mRNA was decreased in contrast to the control group(P<0.01 or P<0.05).Although the expresson of COUP-TF mRNA and protein was increased,SF-1 protein and 17-β-HSD 1 mRNA was decreased in 1.25 g·kg-1·d-1 medicated serum group,compared with those of the control group(P<0.01),the low dose group had no apparent inhibitory effect on the expression of SF-1,17-β-HSD 2 mRNA.Conclusion: The medicated serum of SLW could inhibit the secretion of estradiol in eutopic endometrial cells of endometiosis,and its mechanism might be associated with combined action of inhibiting expression of SF-1,17-β-HSD 1 and up-regulating expression of COUP-TF,17-β-HSD 2.