LI Yuxuan, REN Huan, ZHENG Yan, DU Juan.
Objective To investigate whether the protective effect of catalpol on ovarian function in premature ovarian failure rats is related to the nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway. Methods Rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose catalpol groups, and high-dose catalpol+ML385 group. The level of oxidative stress was determined using corresponding detection kits. Serum sex hormone levels, ovarian histopathological changes, ovarian cell apoptosis, and protein expression were detected by ELISA, HE staining, TUNEL assay, and Western blot, respectively. Results In the control group, the ovaries of rats showed normal morphological characteristics, with relatively rare atretic follicles, and follicles at various developmental stages could be observed; the model group showed an increase in blocked follicles and a decrease in normal follicles. For the control group, the model group showed a decrease in AMH, E2, SOD, Bcl-2, Nrf2, and HO-1, and an increase in FSH, ROS, MDA, apoptosis rate, Cleaved caspase-3, and Bax (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the low-, medium-, and high-dose catalpol groups showed opposite improvements in the above indicators; compared with the high-dose catalpol group, the improvement trend of the above indicators was reversed in the high-dose catalpol+ML385 group. Conclusions Catalpol may protect ovarian function in rats with premature ovarian failure by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.