[Effect of bushen tiaojing recipe on growth differentiation factor-9 in tubal infertility patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer].

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect and mechanism of Bushen Tiaojing Recipe on improving oocyte and embryo qualities in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) at the super-ovulatory cycle.

METHODS

Fifty-eight tubal infertility patients undergoing IVF-ET were randomly assigned to two groups. Thirty patients in the treatment group were treated with Bushen Tiaojing Recipe and GnRHa/FSH/hCG, and twenty-eight patients in the control group were treated with GnRHa/FSH/hCG. Contents of GDF-9 in the mature follicular fluid were detected by Western blot. The expressions of GDF-9 in granulose cells were detected by Real-time PCR. The dose of gonadotropin (Gn), the number of oocytes obtained, the fertilization rate, the oocyte cleavage rate, the high quality embryo rate, and the pregnancy rate were compared.

RESULTS

The contents of GDF-9 in the follicular fluid and its expression in granulosa cells were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The number of oocytes obtained, the fertilization rate, the high quality embryo rate, and the pregnancy rate were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in the dose of Gn or the oocyte cleavage rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Bushen Tiaojing Recipe could improve the pregnancy rate of IVF-ET. Its mechanism might be possibly through regulating the GDF-9 contents in the follicular fluid and granulosa cells.