Ulanova V.A., Shchokina K.G.

Department of Pharmacology and medical toxicology,

National University of Pharmacy, Kharkiv, Ukraine

The influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories on the pathogenesis of experimental mechanical vaginitis in female rats.

 

      Inflammatory infectious diseases of female genital organs take a special place in the structure of women morbidity and make up a grate per cent (to 75%) of the total number of gynecological patients. The most widely-spread pathologies are vaginitis, the symptoms of which can be found in every third woman of childbearing age. The main clinical symptoms of vaginitis: swelling, redness of mucous membrane of the vagina, profuse discharge, nagging pain in a lower abdomen, burning feeling, itching of genitals.

   The factors that affect the vaginitis occurence are hypofunction of ovaries, insufficiency of thyroid gland, gastro-intestynal system and other hormonal disorders, microorganisms invation, mechanical demages of vaginesꞌ mucous membrane (after abortion, after aggressive methods of treatment, such as criodestruction, electrocoagulation, lazer therapy etc), violation of personal hygiene rules. In spite of a great number of factors provoking vaginitis, the treatment should be complex  and include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, reparative, generaltonic therapy. Local treatment such as bathing and vaginal suppositories with different medicines is also widely used. The majority of drugs for this pathology correction at modern pharmaceutical market are synthetic origin medicines. That’s why, the plant origin drugs are of such great interest due to their low toxicity and availability of raw materials. Low toxicity also allows to use herbal drugs for a long period of time without the risk of serious complications taking into account the childbearing age of the patients with vaginitis. In addition, the herbal drugs are rich in pharmacodynamics that allow simultaneously affect the several pathogenetic links of the disease. But nowdays the number of plant origin medicines for vaginitis treatment is limited. One of the medicinal plants with potential anti-inflammatory and reparative properties is the Humulus lupulus extract. The analysis of phytochemical composition of the given medicinal raw materials indicates the presence of polyphenolic compounds (flavonoids: kempferol, rutin, quercetin, xanthohumol), bitter, phytoestrogens. It is also proved that the HL extract have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic and reparative action which can be used in vaginitis treatment.

That is why the aim of our research is to observe the influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories on pathogenesis of experimental «mechanical» vaginitis in female rats.

  The model was conducting using special device – scarificator of vaginasꞌ mucous membrane. Scarification of vaginasꞌ mucous membrane was conducted under barbamil anesthesia during 5 days. On the 6th day the treatment of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories in dose 5 mg/kg and reference drug - suppositories with sea buckthorn oil   in dose 17,64 mg/kg started. On the 11th day the animals were taken out of the experiment and the influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories compared with the suppositories of sea-buckthorn oil on the state of vagina mucous membrane and organism in general was estimated. The following criteria were taken into account: the general condition of the animals, the condition of the vagina mucous membrane, which was studied on the 11th day after scarification. Semiquantitative assessment of inflammation signes was conducted according to the following 3 parametres: edema, hyperemia and hemorrages. The clinical blood of experimental rats also was studied.

   The results indicate that the mechanical damage of the ratsꞌ vagina mucous membrane for 5 days leads to the development of vaginitis. The inflammation symptoms of the vagina mucous membrane of the animals control pathology group manifested a marked soft tissue swelling around the vagina. The macroscopic examination of the vagina mucous membrane of the control pathology group on the 11th day of the experiment also confirmed the development of an experimental "mechanical" vaginitis: the affected area of the vagina was 160,38 mm² or 63,37% of the total area, swelling, congestion and numerous hemorrhages were reflected in the integral indicator – the sum of all the characteristics and amounted to 7.13 points.

The analysis of macroscopic morphological studies of vagina mucous membrane on the 11th day also confirms the apparent therapeutic effect of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories on the development of vaginitis. This is evidenced by reliable compared with the control group pathology a decrease in the affected area of the vagina in rats under the influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories in 3 times, and under the influence of suppositories with sea-buckthorn oil – only in 2 times.

The local inflammation in "mechanical" experimental vaginitis was depressed under the influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories and sea-buckthorn oil. The intensity of edema, hyperemia and hemorrhages in the number of the integral indicator of the state of vagina mucous membrane – sum of points, under the influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories – reduced in 2.5 times, and with sea buckthorn oil - in 2.1 times.

Therefore, the data obtained indicate the advantage of the therapeutic effect of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories at a dose 5 mg/kg over a therapeutic effect of the suppositories with sea buckthorn oil at a dose 17,64 mg/kg in 1.5 times.

The influence of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories on the course of experimental "mechanical" vaginitis in rats had significantly positive character, preventing the formation of pathological changes of inflammatory changes in vagina mucose membrane, and reducing the signs of acute inflammation in the case of formed pathology.

Thus, the studies have shown that the extract HL suppositories at a dose of 5 mg/kg, have an apparent therapeutic effect in terms of "mechanical" vaginitis in rats, and the severity of its therapeutic effects are superior the drug of comparison – suppositories with sea buckthorn oil at a dose of 17,64 mg/kg.

Thus, we can conclude the feasibility of further more in-depth studies of the extract Humulus lupulus suppositories with aim to create on their basis a new drug for the treatment of vaginitis.