Transcriptomics Reveals Effect of Pulsatilla Decoction Butanol Extract in Alleviating Vulvovaginal Candidiasis by Inhibiting Neutrophil Chemotaxis and Activation via TLR4 Signaling

作者：Hui Wu, Can Li, Yemei Wang, Meng-xiang Zhang, Daqiang Wu, Jing Shao, Tianming Wang, Changzhong Wang · 发表于：Pharmaceuticals · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.3390/ph17050594 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：S100 Proteins and Annexins、Immune Response and Inflammation、Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms

The Pulsatilla decoction is a well-known herbal remedy used in clinical settings for treating vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). However, the specific mechanism that makes it effective is still unclear. Recent studies have shown that in cases of VVC, neutrophils recruited to the vagina, influenced by heparan sulfate (HS), do not successfully engulf Candida albicans (C. albicans). Instead, they release many inflammatory factors that cause damage to the vaginal mucosa. This study aims to understand the molecular mechanism by which the n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla decoction (BEPD) treats VVC through transcriptomics. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to identify the primary active components of BEPD. A VVC mouse model was induced using an estrogen-dependent method and the mice were treated daily with BEPD (20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 80 mg/kg) for seven days. The vaginal lavage fluid of the mice was analyzed for various experimental indices, including fungal morphology, fungal burden, degree of neutrophil infiltration, and cytokines. Various assessments were then performed on mouse vaginal tissues, including pathological assessment, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blot (WB), quantitative real-time PCR, and transcriptome assays. Our results showed that BEPD reduced vaginal redness and swelling, decreased white discharge, inhibited C. albicans hyphae formation, reduced neutrophil infiltration and fungal burden, and attenuated vaginal tissue damage compar...