BACKGROUND The herbal medicine Bryophyllum pinnatum has been used as a tocolytic agent in anthroposophic medicine and, recently, in conventional settings alone or as an add-on medication with tocolytic agents such as atosiban or nifedipine. We wanted to compare the inhibitory effect of atosiban and nifedipine on human myometrial contractility in vitro in the absence and in the presence of B. pinnatum press juice (BPJ). METHODS Myometrium biopsies were collected during elective Caesarean sections. Myometrial strips were placed under tension into an organ bath and allowed to contract spontaneously. Test substances alone and at concentrations known to moderately affect contractility in this setup, or in combination, were added to the organ bath, and contractility was recorded throughout the experiments. Changes in the strength (measured as area under the curve (AUC) and amplitude) and frequency of contractions after the addition of all test substances were determined. Cell viability assays were performed with the human myometrium hTERT-C3 and PHM1-41 cell lines. RESULTS BPJ (2.5 μg/mL), atosiban (0.27 μg/mL), and nifedipine (3 ng/mL), moderately reduced the strength of spontaneous myometrium contractions. When BPJ was added together with atosiban or nifedipine, inhibition of contraction strength was significantly higher than with the tocolytics alone (p = 0.03 and p < 0.001, respectively). In the case of AUC, BPJ plus atosiban promoted a decrease to 48.8 ± 6.3% of initial, whereas BPJ and atosiban alone lowered it to 70.9 ± 4.7% and to 80.9 ± 4.1% of initial, respectively. Also in the case of AUC, BPJ plus nifedipine promoted a decrease to 39.9 ± 4.6% of initial, at the same time that BPJ and nifedipine alone lowered it to 78.9 ± 3.8% and 71.0 ± 3.4% of initial. Amplitude data supported those AUC data. The inhibitory effects of BPJ plus atosiban and of BPJ plus nifedipine on contractions strength were concentration-dependent. None of the test substances, alone or in combination, decreased myometrial cell viability. CONCLUSIONS BPJ enhances the inhibitory effect of atosiban and nifedipine on the strength of myometrial contractions, without affecting myometrium tissue or cell viability. The combination treatment of BPJ with atosiban or nifedipine has therapeutic potential.

中文翻译：

---

羽叶藻增强阿托西班和硝苯地平对人子宫肌层收缩力的抑制作用：一项体外研究。

背景技术草药羽叶藻已被用作人智医学中的保胎剂，并且最近在常规环境中单独使用或作为保胎剂如阿托西班或硝苯地平的附加药物。我们想要在体外比较阿托西班和硝苯地平在不存在和存在羽叶双歧杆菌压榨汁 (BPJ) 的情况下对人子宫肌层收缩力的抑制作用。方法 在选择性剖腹产期间收集子宫肌层活检组织。将子宫肌条在张力下放入器官浴中并使其自发收缩。单独的测试物质和已知在该设置中适度影响收缩性的浓度或组合的测试物质被添加到器官浴中，并在整个实验过程中记录收缩性。测定添加所有测试物质后的强度变化（以曲线下面积（AUC）和幅度测量）和收缩频率。使用人子宫肌层 hTERT-C3 和 PHM1-41 细胞系进行细胞活力测定。结果 BPJ (2.5 μg/mL)、阿托西班 (0.27 μg/mL) 和硝苯地平 (3 ng/mL) 适度降低自发子宫肌层收缩的强度。当 BPJ 与阿托西班或硝苯地平一起添加时，对收缩强度的抑制显着高于单独使用宫缩抑制剂（分别为 p = 0.03 和 p < 0.001）。就 AUC 而言，BPJ 加阿托西班促进降低至初始值的 48.8 ± 6.3%，而 BPJ 和阿托西班单独用药则分别将其降低至初始值的 70.9 ± 4.7% 和 80.9 ± 4.1%。同样就 AUC 而言，BPJ 加硝苯地平促进降低至初始值的 39.9 ± 4.6%，同时 BPJ 和硝苯地平单独用药将其降低至初始值的 78.9 ± 3.8% 和 71.0 ± 3.4%。幅度数据支持这些 AUC 数据。BPJ 加阿托西班和 BPJ 加硝苯地平对收缩强度的抑制作用呈浓度依赖性。没有一种测试物质单独或组合地降低子宫肌细胞的活力。结论 BPJ增强阿托西班和硝苯地平对子宫肌层收缩强度的抑制作用，而不影响子宫肌层组织或细胞活力。BPJ 与阿托西班或硝苯地平的联合治疗具有治疗潜力。