Oviductus Ranae as a Functional Food for Ovary Protection: Ameliorating Premature Ovarian Failure and Modulating PI3K/Akt and Apoptosis Pathways in Rats.

Due to the increasing pressure of modern society, premature ovarian failure (POF) has become a widespread issue in women. POF not only impacts women's fertility but also heightens the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. Oviductus Ranae (OR) is a natural product that is used as medicine and food to exert "estrogen-like effects." Previous studies have reported that the compound improves follicle growth, which may be beneficial for POF. Thus, an experiment was designed to explore OR's positive effects on POF rats. POF rat models were established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX), and OR was orally administered to the rats. Subsequently, serum estrogen and gonadotropin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Uterine status, endometrial epithelial thickness, and follicle numbers at different stages in ovaries were analyzed by H&E staining, and follicle atresia by TUNEL staining. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of key proteins in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt) signaling pathway, as well as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in ovarian tissues. The results showed that OR administration to POF rats alleviated estrous cycle disorder, increased estrogen levels (p < 0.05), decreased gonadotropin levels (p < 0.05), mitigated uterine atrophy, increased endometrial epithelial thickness (p < 0.01), ovarian weight (p < 0.05), secondary and Graafian follicle numbers (p < 0.05), while reducing secondary and Graafian follicle atresia rate (p < 0.05). These beneficial effects may be attributed to OR-mediated upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and modulation of the Bcl-2/Bax apoptotic axis in ovarian tissue. In conclusion, OR can improve the follicular condition in ovaries and relieve symptoms in POF rats.