Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology (Dec 2024)

Zingiberis rhizoma-based carbon dots alter serum oestradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels in female mice

  • Yumin Chen,
  • Xue Bai,
  • Ying Zhang,
  • Yafang Zhao,
  • Huagen Ma,
  • Yunbo Yang,
  • Meijun Wang,
  • Yinghui Guo,
  • Xiaopeng Li,
  • Tong Wu,
  • Yue Zhang,
  • Hui Kong,
  • Yan Zhao,
  • Huaihua Qu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/21691401.2023.2276770
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 52, no. 1
pp. 12 – 22

Abstract

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AbstractChinese herbs contain substances that regulate female hormones. Our study confirmed that Zingiberis rhizoma carbonisata contains Zingiberis rhizoma-based carbon dots (ZR-CDs), which exert regulatory effects on serum oestradiol and FSH in mice and show impacts on endometrial growth and follicular development that potentially affect the ability of female fertility. ZR-CDs were characterized to clarify the microstructure, optical features, and functional group characteristics. It shows that ZR-CDs are spherical carbon nanostructures ranging from 0.97 to 2.3 nm in diameter, with fluorescent properties and a surface rich in functional groups. We further investigated the impact of ZR-CDs on oestradiol and FSH in serum, growth, and the development of ovarian and uterine using normal female mice and exogenous oestradiol intervention model. It was observed that ZR-CDs accelerated oestrogen metabolism and attenuated oestradiol-induced endometrial hyperplasia. Simultaneously, ZR-CDs triggered an increase in FSH, even in the presence of high-serum oestradiol that inhibits FSH secretion. Our findings suggest that ZR-CDs could be a potential therapeutic treatment for anovulatory menstruation.

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