Pen Yan Jing Tablets Alleviates Pelvic Inflammatory Disease by Inhibiting Akt/NF-κB Pathway.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Immunology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a significant gynecological condition.
• Pen Yan Jing tablets (PYJ), a Chinese patent medicine, demonstrate efficacy in treating PID.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of PYJ in PID.
• To investigate the molecular pathways modulated by PYJ during PID treatment.

Main Methods:

• Established a rat model of PID induced by mixed bacteria and mechanical damage.
• Assessed uterine morphology, pelvic adhesion, and pathological changes via HE staining.
• Quantified protein expression of inflammatory markers (CD68, ICAM-1, VCM-1, MCP-1, COX-2) using immunohistochemistry.
• Utilized LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages to evaluate PYJ's effects on cell proliferation, NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and the Akt/NF-κB pathway via CCK-8, Griess assay, ELISA, Western blot, and immunofluorescence.

Main Results:

• PYJ treatment significantly alleviated pelvic adhesion and uterine inflammatory lesions in PID rats.
• PYJ downregulated key inflammatory markers including ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1, and COX-2.
• PYJ inhibited Akt/NF-κB pathway activation, evidenced by reduced phosphorylation of Akt, IκB kinase α/β, IκBα, and p65 in vivo and in vitro.
• PYJ-medicated serum suppressed macrophage proliferation, nitric oxide (NO) release, and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6) production.

Conclusions:

• PYJ demonstrates significant therapeutic effects in alleviating PID symptoms and pathological changes.
• The anti-inflammatory and anti-adhesion effects of PYJ are mediated through the inhibition of the Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.
• PYJ represents a promising therapeutic agent for PID, with its mechanisms involving modulation of key inflammatory and signaling pathways.