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

Abstract

Chinese 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.

Keywords:

• Zingiberis rhizoma-based carbon dots
• oestradiol
• follicle-stimulating hormone
• ovary

Author contributions

Hui Kong, Yan Zhao, and Huihua Qu proposed the idea and layout for the experiments. The study was conducted by Yumin Chen, Xue Bai, Ying Zhang, Yafang Zhao, Yinghui Guo, and Tong Wu. Huagen Ma, Yunbo Yang, Meijun Wang, and Xiaopeng Li evaluated and analysed the data. Both Yumin Chen and Yue Zhang contributed to the draft manuscript preparation. The final manuscript was approved by all authors. All authors meet ICMJE criteria for authorship.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The original data for this study support the findings and conclusions of the article and are available if required.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Special Funds for Fundamental Research Funds of institutions of higher-learning affiliated with central departments (grant number 90011451310030).