Tong Jing Yi Hao Formula Alleviates Ornidazole-Induced Oligoasthenospermia in Rats by Suppressing ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Tong Jing Yi Hao Formula (TJYHF) is a Traditional Chinese medicine used for oligoasthenospermia (OAS) treatment. However, the role of TJYHF against OAS is unclear. This study was an initial attempt to solve this problem. METHODS: Rats were randomly allocated to normal, ornidazole (Orn), levocarnitine (450 mg/kg), low-dose TJYHF (6.5 g/kg) and high-dose TJYHF (26 g/kg) groups, each consisting of six rats. Oral administration of Orn (400 mg/kg) for 4 weeks was used to induce OAS, followed by oral doses of the respective drugs for an additional 4 weeks. Parameters, including the testicular index, epididymis index, testicular volume, sperm parameters, sex hormone levels, histological changes and markers of oxidative stress, were evaluated to assess the effects of treatment. The potential mechanism involved in the therapeutic effects of TJYHF was studied by evaluating the activity and expression levels of key molecules within the reactive oxygen species (ROS)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway. RESULTS: Compared with healthy rats, the Orn-induced rats demonstrated decreases in testicular index, epididymis index, testicular volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, percentage of forwarding sperm motility, total sperm motility, testosterone, spermatogenic epithelium, reproductive cell, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione and increases in sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation index, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and malondialdehyde. In the testicles, an enhancement in the ROS level and phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) was observed after Orn challenge. Moreover, the protein expression levels and immunostaining intensity of p38 and HIF-1α increased, indicating the activation of the ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 pathway. All of the aforementioned changes exhibited statistical significance (p < 0.01). Compared with Orn-induced rats, TJYHF effectively rescued the Orn-induced aforementioned disorders. Mechanistically, TJYHF suppressed the ROS level and ERK1/2, JNK and p38 phosphorylation levels. Besides, it reduced the protein expression levels and immunostaining intensity of p38 and HIF-1α, demonstrating the inactivation of the ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 pathway. Notably, the aforementioned enhancements demonstrated statistical significance (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TJYHF exerted a beneficial effect on reproductive function in OAS rats through the inhibition of the ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 pathway.

Treatment progress of cryptozoospermia with Western Medicine and traditional Chinese medicine: A literature review.

Background and Aims: Cryptozoospermia is an extreme oligozoospermia with an unsatisfactory treatment effect, with an incidence rate of approximately 8.73% in male infertility, whose effective solution has become the call of the times. Western Medicine has achieved certain effects through drugs, surgery, and assisted reproductive therapy, but this is still not ideal. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has made many achievements in other disciplines; however, there is still a lack of evidence-based medical evidence to improve sperm production. Methods: The relevant literatures from the China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) and PubMed in the past 10 years were collected in this article, of which the mechanisms, advantages, or current controversies of various treatment methods of Western Medicine and TCM were analyzed, to find new treatment methods and research directions. Results: With the development of modern science and technology, medical treatments for cryptozoospermia have become increasingly abundant; however, there is still no universally recognized unified and effective guiding plan. Although TCM has not been fully verified by evidence-based medicine, most TCM combined with Western Medicine can achieve unexpected results. Conclusion: The combination of TCM and Western Medicine may become a bane for cryptozoospermia and bring good news to infertile men worldwide.

Prostatitis No.1 traditional chinese medicine significantly exhibited anti-inflammation role on prostatitis through miR-205-5p/YES1.

Prostatitis is one common male disease with a high prevalence. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used as an alternative method for the treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of Prostatitis No.1 Traditional Chinese Medicine (P1TCM) on prostatitis is still unclear. For this purpose, the rat models were constructed and treated with PITCM of control, model, low (10 g/kg/d), medium (20 g/kg/d), and high (40 g/kg/d), as well as the transfections of medium dosage+NC mimic, and medium dosage+miR-205-5p mimic, medium dosage+NC mimic+pc-NC, medium dosage+miR-205-5p mimic+pc-NC, and medium dosage+miR-205-5p mimic+pc-v-YES-1 Yamaguchi sarcoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (YES1). Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blotting analyses were carried out to evaluate the expression of miR-205-5p and YES1, respectively. The levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The targeting role of miR-205-5p on YES1 was predicted by StarBase and verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Results showed that the optimal treatment of P1TCM relieved the damage of prostate tissue, decreased the immunity and inflammation factors, and reduced the expression level of miR-205-5p in prostate tissue and serum. miR-205-5p mimics significantly relieved tissue damage and reduced immunity and inflammatory functions. miR-205-5p targeted YES1. YES1 was significantly upregulated in medium dosage treatment compared with Control, while downregulated compared with the Model. YES1 was also upregulated in prostatitis patients. The pc-YES1 reversed the function of the miR-205-5p mimic. In conclusion, P1TCM significantly relieved the tissue damage and reduced prostate patients' inflammatory functions through miR-205-5p/YES1, which might be essential for clinical studies.

Runjing extract promotes spermatogenesis in rats with ornidazole-induced oligoasthenoteratozoospermia through extracellular signal-regulated kinase signalling, and regulating vimentin expression.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of Runjing (RJ) extract on oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) induced by ornidazole (ORN) in rats, and to study the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with normal saline (control), ORN (OAT model), ORN + 4.725 g·kg－1·d－1 RJ extract (low-dose) and ORN+ 18.9 g·kg－1·d－1 RJ extract (high-dose) for 4 weeks. The rats were then euthanized and sperm and testis samples were collected for analysis. Sperm count, motility and morphology were calculated by sperm suspension from cauda epididymis. Testicular histopathological changes were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and TdT mediated dUTP nick end labelling. Moreover, the expression of vimentin and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were examined through Western blot, and the distribution of vimentin was detected via immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: ORN successfully induces seminiferous epithelium injury, cellular apoptosis, and finally OAT (P < 0.05). However, both low-dose and highdose RJ extract partially rescues the phenotypes (P < 0.05). Moreover, the expressions of vimentin and ERK were significantly altered in ORN testes (all P < 0.001), while RJ extract partially reversed these effects (P < 0.01 or P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RJ extract can help maintain spermatogenesis through ERK signalling, and regulating vimentin expression.

[Efficacy and safety of № I Empirical Prescription for Chronic Prostatitis in the treatment of type ⠢ refractory chronic prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency and safety of № I Empirical Prescription for Chronic Prostatitis (№ I EPCP) in the treatment of type Ⅲ refractory chronic prostatitis. METHODS: We randomly assigned 53 cases of type Ⅲ refractory chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood stasis to an experimental and a control group to receive № I EPCP at 1 dose per day and saw palmetto extract at 160 mg bid), respectively, all for 8 weeks. Before and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, we obtained The National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores, Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Scores (TCMSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), average urinary flow rate (Qavg), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores, and compared them between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Totally 48 of the patients completed the medication and follow-up, 25 in the experimental and 23 in the control group. Compared with the baseline, the NIH-CPSI scores after 8 weeks of treatment were significantly decreased in the experimental (27.82 ± 7.25 vs 15.46 ± 4.77, P <0.05) and the control group (25.98 ± 6.47 vs 21.06 ± 5.74, P <0.05), and so were the TCMSSs (24.64 ± 9.82 vs 16.42 ± 6.33 and 9.15 ± 3.74, P <0.05, and 23.67 ± 8.73 vs 18.55 ± 5.92 and 13.48 ± 4.45, P <0.05); the Qmax at 8 weeks were dramatically increased in the experimental group (ï¼»18.45 ± 7.81ï¼½ vs ï¼»23.44 ± 8.73ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05) and the control (ï¼»17.58 ± 6.92ï¼½ vs ï¼»21.26 ± 8.32ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05), and so was the Qavg (ï¼»11.27 ± 5.33ï¼½ vs ï¼»16.51 ± 7.36ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05 and ï¼»10.66 ± 5.82ï¼½ vs ï¼»13.44 ± 6.16ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05); the HAMD scores were remarkably reduced in the experimental group (22.74 ± 6.37 vs 17.62 ± 5.71 and 12.54 ± 5.22, P <0.05) and the control (23.55 ± 7.14 vs 22.34 ± 6.88 and 21.62 ± 5.63, P <0.05), and so were the HAMA scores (21.37 ± 7.15 vs 18.42 ± 6.35 and 14.63 ± 7.11, P <0.05 and 20.54 ± 6.77 vs 19.87 ± 6.24 and 19.42 ± 7.04, P <0.05). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in either of the two groups during the medication. CONCLUSIONS: № I EPCP deserves promotion and clinical application for its definite effectiveness and safety in the treatment of type Ⅲ refractory chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood stasis.

[Kangle Decoction for erectile dysfunction with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Kangle Decoction in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency. METHODS: A total of 79 ED patients with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency were randomly assigned to an experimental group (aged ï¼»36.62±8.05ï¼½ yr and with a disease course of ï¼»18.15±6.41ï¼½ mo) and a control group (aged ï¼»37.44±8.10ï¼½ yr and with a disease course of ï¼»17.51±6.79ï¼½ mo), the former treated orally with Kangle Decoction at 0.5 dose bid while the latter with Cialis at 10 mg qd alt, both for 8 weeks. Before treatment, after 4 and 8 weeks of medication, and at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal, we obtained the scores of the patients in the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS), and Short-Form Psychological and Interpersonal Relationship Scales (SF-PAIRS), and compared the indexes between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The IIEF-5 score was dramatically increased in both the treatment and control groups after 4 weeks (13.40±2.42 and 16.00±2.68) and 8 weeks of medication (18.60±3.50 and 18.59±3.80) and at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal (17.00±3.05 and 13.95±2.61) as compared with the baseline (10.78±2.28 and 10.77±2.33) (P<0.05 ), even higher in the treatment than in the control group after drug withdrawal (P<0.05 ). The EDITS scores in the treatment and control groups were (28.88±3.31 and 28.90±3.31) after 4 weeks of intervention, (29.68±3.30 and 29.13±3.32) after 8 weeks of intervention, and (29.20±2.92 and 26.82±3.23) at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal, all significantly higher in the former than in the latter group after drug withdrawal (P<0.05 ). The sexual self-confidence score (SSCS), sexual spontaneity score (SSS), and sexual time-concern score (STCS) were all improved in the treatment and control groups after medication as compared with the baseline (P<0.05 ), even higher in the former than in the latter group after drug withdrawal (P<0.05 ). CONCLUSIONS: Kangle Decoction has a definite efficacy in the treatment of ED with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency, with few adverse reactions and long-term post-withdrawal effect, and therefore deserves a wide clinical application.

Ancient Chinese Fangzhongshu (Sexual Skills and Methods) Therapy for Premature Ejaculation.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual dysfunction that can have significant effects on a couple's relationship. Behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are both safe and effective methods of treating PE. Ancient Chinese fangzhongshu (sexual skills and methods), which reflects a summary of expert experiences in sexology, contains many therapies for sexual dysfunction that are similar to those used in behavioral therapy or psychotherapy. A brief introduction dealing with the latest definitions of PE and treatment strategies drawn from behavioral therapy and psychotherapy is provided. Typical therapies for PE from ancient Chinese fangzhongshu are listed and briefly analyzed in order to define their domain of applicability and instructions for use. Ancient Chinese fangzhongshu contains many effective and safe therapies for PE. It should be incorporated into modern medical practice after critical analysis, and its scientific aspects should be promoted as a way of improving reproductive health, both to benefit individuals affected by PE and to promote traditional Chinese culture. Based on an analysis of the condition of the individual patient, one or multiple therapies guided by fangzhongshu can be expected to have an effect on the patient. Ancient Chinese fangzhongshu is of great value and should to be popularized and applied as a remedy for PE.