Hop and artichoke extracts inhibit expression of extracellular matrix components in uterine leiomyoma cells

Objective: To screen 14 different plant extracts for their antifibrotic effect on human primary leiomyoma and healthy myometrial cells. Design: Preclinical study. Setting: University research laboratory. Patient(s): Human uterine leiomyoma and matched myometrial tissues were obtained from Caucasian premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine fibroids at the time of hysterectomy. Intervention(s): Primary human leiomyoma and myometrial cells were cultured in the absence or presence of the plant extracts. Main Outcome Measure(s): Quantification of the expression of extracellular matrix components, such as fibronectin 1 (FN1), collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1), and versican (VCAN), and the profibrotic growth factor activin A or inhibin beta A subunit (INHBA). Result(s): The cells were treated with the 14 extracts for 48 hours, and we measured FN1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Of the 14 extracts, about (ABO) ABO-2 (hop) and ABO-9 (artichoke) significantly reduced FN1 expression in both the cell types. Next, we evaluated the effect of fractions of these 2 extracts on the mRNA expression of FN1 and other extracellular matrix components, such as COL1A1, VCAN, and INHBA, in leiomyoma and myometrial cells. We found that ABO-2 (hop) and ABO-9 (artichoke) as well as their fractions, ABO-AR-2016-015 (fraction of ABO-2) and ABO-AR-2014-168 (fraction of ABO-9), reduced the mRNA expression of FN1, COL1A1, VCAN, and INHBA in primary leiomyoma cells. In primary myometrial cells, the mRNA expression of FN1, COL1A1, VCAN, and INHBA was not greatly affected. Conclusion(s): These results suggest that the hop and artichoke extracts possess antifibrotic properties and support additional evaluation using in vivo models.