Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of bazedoxifene on expressions of VEGF, VEGFR2, COX-2 and inflammatory factors in a rat endometriosis model

Rui Hou¹, Hao Xu², Hui Li¹

¹Nursing School, SIAS University of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou; ²Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First Peoples Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hanzghou City 310006, China.

For correspondence:- Hui Li Email: ziy8xg@163.com

Accepted: 27 August 2019 Published: 30 September 2019

Citation: Hou R, Xu H, Li H. Effect of bazedoxifene on expressions of VEGF, VEGFR2, COX-2 and inflammatory factors in a rat endometriosis model. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(9):1799-1804 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i9.2

© 2019 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To study the effect of bazedoxifene on the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (sVEGFR2), cyclooxygenase synthase 2 (COX-2) and inflammatory factors in a rat endometriosis (EMS) model.

Methods: Thirty rats (EMS) were divided into untreated control group, bazedoxifene group and celecoxib group (10 rats per group). Bazedoxifene and celecoxib were administered at doses of 3 and 25 mg/kg, respectively. Negative control rats served as control, and were given 0.9 % sodium chloride at a dose of 10 mL/kg. All treatments were given intragastrically for 21 days. Levels of VEGF, sVEGFR2 and COX-2 in uterine ectopic endometrium were assayed.

Results: The levels of VEGF and sVEGFR2 in the serum and peritoneal fluid of the untreated control group were significantly higher than the corresponding control values, while VEGF and sVEGFR2 levels in the serum and peritoneal fluid of the bazedoxifene group were significantly lower than those in the untreated control group (p < 0.05). Bazedoxifene group had lower VEGFR2 and COX-2 levels than untreated control group (p < 0.05). expression of COX-2 protein in the ectopic endometrium of celecoxib group was significantly lower than that in the untreated control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Bazedoxifene alleviates angiogenesis and inflammatory factors in serum and peritoneal fluid of EMS rats, inhibits the expression of sVEGFR2 and COX-2 in ectopic endometrium, and also inhibits the growth of ectopic endometrium. This finding may help to discover additional new drugs.

Keywords: Bazedoxifene, Endometriosis, VEGF, VEGFR2, COX-2, Inflammatory factors