95% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or good
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.
Find out more
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1534733
Blood Biochemical Landscape and New Insights into Clinical Decision-Making for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Chinese Women: A Prospective Cohort Study
Provisionally accepted- 1 Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
- 2 Zhongshan People's Hospital (ZSPH), Zhongshan, Guangdong, China
- 3 Boai Hospital of Zhongshan, Zhongshan, China
The Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder with significant implications for women's reproductive and metabolic health, yet its diagnosis remains challenging due to heterogeneous presentations and lack of reliable biomarkers. To address this, we established a prospective cohort of 103 PCOS patients treated with oral contraceptives from 2021 to 2024, investigating the role of Glucosaminyl (N-acetyl) transferase 2 (GCNT2) in modulating sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and other plasma proteins. Using bidirectional Mendelian randomization, we identified significant genetic associations and causal relationships between PCOS and SHBG, highlighting GCNT2's critical role in PCOS pathophysiology. Molecular docking studies revealed Cryptotanshinone as a promising therapeutic candidate, demonstrating strong binding affinity to key proteins in the PI3K/Akt pathway, such as COL1A1, COL4A2, and COL6A2, with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Enrichment analyses further elucidated GCNT2's influence on collagen synthesis and extracellular matrix regulation. These findings underscore GCNT2's pivotal role in PCOS and position Cryptotanshinone as a viable therapeutic option, offering new insights into the disorder's biochemical mechanisms and potential treatment strategies.
Keywords: Cryptotanshinone, Glucosaminyl (N-acetyl) transferase 2, SHBG, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Mendelian Randomization (MR)
Received: 26 Nov 2024; Accepted: 03 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Lin, Zou, Du, Li, Zhong and Jiang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Yutong Li, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.