Objective: To investigate the effect of Huatan Tongmai decoction on insulin receptor substrate-1-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(IRS-1-PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) cross-talk in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

provide a scientific basis for demonstrating the multi-target and multi-channel action model of Chinese medicine compound

and open up new ideas for the treatment of PCOS. Method: The rats were divided into normal group

model group

positive control group (metformin hydrochloride 0.16 g·kg-1·d-1) and Huatan Tongmai decoction low (L-HTY)

middle (M-HTY) and high dose (H-HTY) groups (8

16

24 g·kg-1·d-1)

8 rats in each group. Insulin (INS) combined with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was used to induce PCOS model in rats. After successful modeling

the Western blot and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) methods were used to detect the expression of IRS-1

PI3K

Akt

NF-κB p65

inhibitory kappa B(IκB) and the changes of Tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in serum. Result: As compared with normal group

the protein expression levels of IRS-1

Akt

PI3K and IκB in the liver of model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05)

and the protein expression of NF-κB p65 was increased significantly (P<0.05). The protein expression levels of IRS-1

Akt

PI3K and IκB in the liver of H-HTY group were significantly higher than those in model group (P<0.05)

while the expression of NF-κB p65 was lower (P<0.05). What's more

the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum of model group were significantly higher than those of normal group

and levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in serum of the L-HTY

M-HTY and H-HTY groups were significantly lower than those of model group (P<0.05). Conclusion: In the pathogenesis of PCOS

IRS-1-PI3K/Akt has a cross-action with the NF-κB pathway

and the Huatan Tongmai decoction has a good regulation effect on the abnormalities of the IRS-1-PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways involved.