| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立嘉義大學 === 生化科技學系研究所 === 100 === Dysmenorrhea is a common gynaecological disorder in reproductive age women. Women with primary dysmenorrhea have been found to produce higher level of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) in their endometrium, which cause hypercontractility of the uterine muscle resulting in pelvic pain. Treatment of primary dysmenorrhea depends largely on administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), however, which has some side effects. Therefore, a more natural alternative is to be expected.
Our previous results had showed that essentiall oil of oregano and its main constituent–carvacrol had obvious relaxant effects on rat uterus contractions. In this sudy, we firstly elucidated the relaxant effects of carvacrol and its related compounds including 3-isopropylphenol, o-cresol, 2-tert-butyl-5-methylphenol, trans-anethole, o-eugenol, 4-tert-butyltoluene, isoeugenol, (+)-menthol, (−)-menthol, 2-amino-p-cymene, 3,4-dimethylcumene, thymol and p-cymene on uterine contraction. In the oxytocin (10 mU/ml), PGF2α (1 μM), potassium chloride (60 mM) and acetylcholine (10 μM) induced uterine contraction, the best inhibitory effects of 2-tert-butyl-5-methylphenol (IC50 values of 20, 47, 100 and 87 µM, respectively), carvacrol (IC50 values of 80, 85, 127 and 150 µM, respectively) and 3-isopropylphenol (IC50 values of 203, 73, 230 and 129 µM, respectively) were found. In addition, these 3 compounds also reduced the contraction induced by oxytocin in Ca2+-free EDTA solution (IC50 values of 57, 129 and 87 µM, respectively). These results suggest their inhibitory pathway may be involved in the release of Ca2+ ions from intracellular stores. In the oxytocin-induced dysmenorrhea model, mice rubbing 0.3 g/kg carvacrol on their bellies for 10 days inhibited about 80% writhing responses as compared to that caused by jojoba oil.
The in vitro results of uterus contractions suggest that carvacrol, 3-isopropylphenol and 2-tert-butyl-5-methylphenol have multiple effects on blocking receptor- and voltage-operated calcium channels. The in vivo results of oxytocin-induced dysmenorrhea model further showed that carvacrol, the natural compound can be obtained from the diet, might be useful as agents for preventing and relaxing primary dysmenorrhea.
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