A Botanical Extract from Channel Flow Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Induces Apoptosis, and Suppresses CCL5 in Human Endometriotic Stromal Cells.

Biol Reprod. 2009 Apr 29; Wieser F, Yu J, Park J, Gaeddert A, Cohen M, Vigne JL, Taylor RNGrowing evidence suggests that medicinal herbs have direct actions on endometrial cells. By screening multiple herbs using an in vitro model of endometriosis we found that a commonly used herbal formulae exerted considerable anti-proliferative effects. Our purpose was to investigate the effects of this anti-endometriosis herbal mixture on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and CCL5 expression and secretion in endometriotic stromal cells in vitro. Isolated normal endometrial, eutopic, and ectopic endometriotic stromal cells were cultured under established conditions. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and CCL5 gene expression protein secretion was evaluated after incubation with different concentrations of an anti-endometriosis herbal mixture extract. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting, (3)H-thymidine incorporation and MTT assays. Apoptosis was determined by blotting using anti-cleaved caspase 3 antibodies, and by a TUNEL assay. CCL5 gene expression and protein secretion were determined by transient transfection of gene promoter reporters and ELISAs in cell supernatants. Extracts of a traditional herbal mixture dose-dependently decreased cell proliferation in normal, eutopic, and ectopic endometriotic stromal cells. (3)H-Thymidine uptake and MTT confirmed these findings. The herbal extracts induced apoptosis evidenced by activation of caspase 3, and presence of TUNEL positive cells after treatment. The herbal extracts also suppressed CCL5 gene transcription and protein secretion in endometriotic stromal cells, even when corrected for cell number. Extracts from a medicinal herbal mixture have direct effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis and CCL5 production in endometriotic stromal cells. Our findings support the further investigation of novel, potentially safe and well-tolerated botanical products as future endometriosis treatments.