PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Existing hormone replacement therapy for menopause has drawbacks, necessitating new treatment agents. Silkworms have demonstrated estrogenic properties, offering promising alternatives. We assessed the therapeutic effects of freeze-dried silkworm powder (SWP) on menopausal symptoms using an ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model. The experimental design comprised a sham surgery group (Sham), an OVX control group, a low-dose SWP group post-OVX (80 mg/kg, OVX-SWP-L), a high-dose SWP group post-OVX (160 mg/kg, OVX-SWP-H), and an estradiol treatment group post-OVX (OVX-E2). Treatments were administered orally thrice weekly over eight weeks; body weight was monitored weekly. The SWP-treated groups (SWP-L and SWP-H) exhibited less weight gain and increased uterine thickness than the OVX control. Molecular analyses demonstrated that SWP significantly enhanced the phosphorylation of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), ERK, and AKT. Furthermore, biochemical assays revealed reduced serum neutral lipids across all SWP treatment groups. Notably, HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly increased in the SWP-L group compared to the OVX group. Serum estradiol concentrations were elevated in all the SWP groups, with significant increases in the high-dose group. These findings indicate that SWP may promote the activation of estrogen receptor signaling and improve symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency during menopause.
摘要：
现有的更年期激素替代疗法有缺点，需要新的治疗剂。家蚕已经证明了雌激素的特性，提供有希望的替代品。我们使用卵巢切除（OVX）小鼠模型评估了冻干蚕粉（SWP）对更年期症状的治疗作用。实验设计包括假手术组（Sham），OVX对照组,OVX后低剂量SWP组（80mg/kg，OVX-SWP-L),OVX后高剂量SWP组（160mg/kg，OVX-SWP-H),和雌二醇治疗组OVX后(OVX-E2)。在八周内每周三次口服施用治疗;每周监测体重。与OVX对照相比,SWP处理组(SWP-L和SWP-H)表现出较少的体重增加和增加的子宫厚度。分子分析表明，SWP显着增强雌激素受体α（ERα）的磷酸化，ERK,AKT。此外，生化检测显示,所有SWP治疗组的血清中性脂质均降低.值得注意的是,与OVX组相比，SWP-L组的HDL-胆固醇水平显着增加。所有SWP组的血清雌二醇浓度均升高，高剂量组显着增加。这些发现表明，SWP可能会促进雌激素受体信号的激活，并改善绝经期间与雌激素缺乏相关的症状。
