Chinese herbal medicine alleviates autophagy and apoptosis in ovarian granulosa cells induced by testosterone through PI3K/AKT1/FOXO1 pathway

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological endocrine and metabolic disorder. Chinese herbal medicine has some advantages in the treatment of PCOS with its unique theoretical system and rich clinical practice experiences.

Aim of the study: The present study was to investigate the potential mechanisms of Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi Formula (BSJPF) on the treatment of PCOS.

Material and methods: The combination of ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS) rapid analysis, network pharmacology, molecular docking analysis and bio-experiments were firstly conducted to identify the main effective components of BSJPF, and to predict the potential mechanisms. The ovarian granulosa cell line (KGN) was treated with testosterone to construct the PCOS model in vitro, and the cells were further treated with the lyophilized powder of BSJPF. The levels of proliferation, Autophagy and Apoptosis were detected to explore the mechanisms of BSJPF on treating PCOS.

Results: Firstly, thirty-six active compounds were identified in BSJPF and thirty-one potential targets on PCOS were found. Then, PI3K and PDK1 were verified to have good binding activity with the active compounds through molecular docking analysis. In bio-experiments, BSJPF significantly alleviated the arrested proliferation of KGN cells in G0/G1 phase and reduced the active levels of Autophagy and Apoptosis of KGN cells induced by testosterone. Additionally, the inhibition of Autophagy diminished Apoptosis, while the repression Apoptosis enhanced Autophagy. Finally, BSJPF significantly decreased the FOXO1 expression levels induced by testosterone, especially for nuclear FOXO1, and significantly activated the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Conclusions: BSJPF significantly alleviated the activated Autophagy and Apoptosis in KGN induced by testosterone through PI3K/Akt1/FOXO1pathway, which is an effective treatment for PCOS.

Apoptosis; Autophagy; Bu-Shen-Jian-Pi formula; PI3K/AKT1/FOXO1 pathway; Polycystic ovary syndrome.