[Effects of herb therapy for benefiting qi and removing blood stasis on ultrastructure of vascular endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells of uterine endometrium in rabbits with copper intrauterine device].

OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of herb therapy for benefiting qi and removing blood stasis on ultrastructure of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of uterine endometrium in rabbits with copper intrauterine device. METHODS Fifty-six rabbits were randomly divided into seven groups, which were normal control group, sham-operation group, untreated group, indomethacin-treated group and low-, medium- and high-dose Gonghuan Zhixueling Recipe (GHZXLR)-treated groups. The rabbits in the last five groups were operated with copper IUD insertion and then orally given distilled water, indomethacin and low-, medium- and high-dose GHZXLR respectively for at least one week. Rabbits in the normal control group and sham-operation group were given distilled water orally. The ultrastructure of VECs and VSMCs of uterine endometrium in rabbits was observed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS The morphological changes of VSMCs revealed intracellular edema, organelle disintegration and decrease of organelle amount, or cell atrophy and vacuolar degeneration of mitochondria in the untreated group, and the amount of collagen fibers also increased outside the VSMCs. Local interstitial edema in subendothelial substance and vacuolar degeneration of mitochondria in VECs were both observed. The ultrastructural damages to the mitochondria, Golgi bodies and myofilament of VECs and VSMCs and the intercellular substance in GHZXLR-treated groups were slighter than those in the untreated group, while these damages had no significant differences as compared with those in the indomethacin-treated group. CONCLUSION The Chinese herb therapy for benefiting qi for removing blood stasis has the protective effect on VECs of uterine endometrium in the rabbits with copper intrauterine device. It appears to be a good treatment for menorrhagia induced by copper IUD insertion.