Inhibition of Oxidative Stress by Wuzi Yanzongwan to Ameliorate Idiopathic Oligoasthenospermia： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Idiopathic oligoasthenospermia （IO） has been increasingly emphasized in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility. Oxidative stress damage directly affects sperm quality and spermatogenesis， constituting a major causative factor of IO. Firstly， due to its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids， the sperm plasma membrane is highly sensitive to reactive oxygen species （ROS）， leading to lipid peroxidation accumulation and even inducing ferroptosis. Secondly， deficient downstream key proteins in the base excision repair pathway render sperm unable to repair extensive DNA oxidative damage under oxidative stress. Simultaneously， under oxidative stress， the apoptotic pathway of sperm is cascade-activated， causing rapid loss of motility. ROS further disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis， inhibiting testosterone production and ultimately affecting spermatogenesis. Wuzi Yanzongwan，in line with traditional Chinese medicine theory of treating IO through "nourishing kidney essence and harmonizing Yin and Yang"， clinically demonstrates its ability to improve sperm morphology， count， and motility， thereby enhancing male fertility. The research on the pharmacological constituents of Wuzi Yanzongwan primarily involves establishing a characteristic spectrum of Chinese medicine to achieve quality control and exploring the pharmacology of effective components. Studies have found that its main active ingredients consist of flavonoids and phenylpropanoids. Specifically， compounds such as hyperin， acteoside， kaempferol， and schisandrin A are identified as the primary active substances and quality control components. These compounds exhibit strong antioxidant activity and have been partly applied in research related to reproductive endocrine disorders. Tripterygium glycoside is primarily used for modeling of oxidative stress-induced IO. It leads to the accumulation of various lipid peroxides in testicular tissues and concurrently compromises the body's antioxidant capacity. Mechanistic studies have found that Wuzi Yanzongwan can inhibit elevated ROS levels in IO models and enhance the body's antioxidant capacity， thereby ameliorating inflammation， suppressing cell apoptosis， promoting testosterone production， and ultimately alleviating the decline in sperm quality and spermatogenesis caused by oxidative stress.

Selective Extraction of Low Molecular Weight Proteins by Mesoporous Silica Particles with Phenyl-Modified Internal and Alkyl-diol-Modified External Surfaces / 分析化学

Selective extraction of low molecular weight ( LMW) proteins and peptides from complex biological samples plays an important role in the discovery of useful biomarkers and signaling molecules. It is demonstrated that the unique pore structure of mesoporous material makes it efficient to enrich LMW proteins and peptides from complex matrixes. In this study, a mesoporous material, alkyl-diol@ phenyl-SiO2 , with modified exterior ( alkyl-diol group) and interior ( phenyl group) surfaces, was synthesized by co-condensation and post-grafting, and its characteristic was evaluated by FTIR and MS. The LMW proteins and peptides enriched by the alkyl-diol@phenyl-SiO2 mesoporous material could be easily eluted by organic solvents, which was compatible with the following detection by mass spectrometry ( MS ) . This new mesoporous material exhibited good selectivity for the extraction of LMW proteins and peptides ( less than 10 kDa) from complex biological samples.