The n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla decoction treats vulvovaginal candidiasis by inhibiting the recruitment and chemotaxis of neutrophils, protecting the vaginal mucosa.
Firstly, the primary active components of the n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla decoction (BEPD) were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Then, a vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) mouse model was created using an estrogen-dependent method. These mice were administered a daily dose of BEPD for a week. After this period, the vaginal lavage fluid of the mice was scrutinized, paying attention to various experimental indices including fungal form, fungal load, extent of neutrophil infiltration and presence of cytokines. Following this, various tests were conducted on mouse vaginal tissues such as pathological assessment, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blot, quantitative real-time PCR, and transcriptome assays.
The research found that BEPD reduced vaginal redness and swelling, decreased white discharge and inhibited hyphae formation, lowered neutrophil infiltration and fungal load and lessened vaginal tissue damage compared to untreated mice. Remarkably, the vaginal tissue seemingly returned to normal levels in mice given the high dosage of BEPD. Reductions in IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and LDH levels were also seen in the target mice. Results from the transcriptomics experiment also suggest that BEPD may counteract VVC by controlling chemokine and alarmin-specific neutrophil chemotaxis. To conclude, the study verifies that BEPD defends the vaginal mucosa of VVC mice by obstructing neutrophil recruitment and chemotaxis.
