Effects of Pinelliae Tuber on the Surgical Induction of Endometriosis in the Rat

반하(半夏)가 자궁내막증 유발 흰쥐에 미치는 영향

Purpose: Endometriosis has been thought to be related with blood stasis in uterus. Pinelliae Tuber is a herb which has effectiveness of dispelling phlegm which can be transformed into blood stasis, so is used in gynecology blood stasis-desease. Therefore in the present study, the effects of Pinelliae Tuber on endometriosis were investigated. Also retention enema therapy acts on the limited part directly, so is used frequently in gynecology clinic. This study was to examine the comparative effects on the surgical induction of endometriosis in the rat between orally and rectally administered with Pinelliae Tuber extract. Methods: The endometrial tissue was autografted to Rat's small intestine. Rats with surgically induced endometriosis were orally and rectally administerd with Pinelliae Tuber extract for 40 days. Size of ectopic uterine implants at the serosal wall and concentration of progesterone, estradiol, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-I0 in serum were examined and compared with the control group. Results: There was no difference in the size of ectopic uterine implants of experimental group compared with control group. The concentration of IL-10 level was significantly decreased in orally administered experimental group and the concentration of progesterone, IL-6 level was significantly decreased in rectally administered experimental group. There was no significant difference between orally and rectally administerd with Pinelliae Tuber. Conclusion: Judging from the above results, it can be suggested that Pinelliae Tuber should be not a useful agent for inhibiting the proliferation of uterine endometrial tissue. There is no difference between orally and rectally administerd with Pinelliae Tuber extract.