Effect of puerarin on vaginal connective tissue in patients with pelvic organ prolapse
چکیده
Aims: The objective was to determine the impact of puerarin on the vaginal connective tissue of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) patients. Methods: We performed a prospective evaluation of patients who presented with POP between June 2010 and November 2012. Fifty-two women were enrolled and divided into a puerarin treatment group and control group. Patients in the puerarin group were treated with 0.429 mg/day puerarin for 30 days. The control group received placebo for 30 days. After treatment, all of patients accepted pelvic organ prolapse repair and biopsies of prolapsed tissue were obtained. Morphologic changes in the two groups were evaluated by light microscopy. The expression of elastin, collagen, neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and TGF-β was evaluated in all patients using immunohistochemistry. Result: Patients treated with puerarin had significantly less prolapse symptoms than control patients. Moreover, the expression of elastin, collagen, NPY, VIP and TGF-β was significantly increased in the puerarin group. Conclusion: Puerarin is a phytoestrogen that has therapeutic effects in patients with POP.