[Effects of Zhibai Dihuang Decoction on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase in the spermatogenic cells of rats with ureaplasma urealyticum infection].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of Zhibai Dihuang Decoction (ZDD) on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COX) in the spermatogenic cells of rats with ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection. METHODS: From forty 4－5 months old SD rats, 30 were randomly selected for the establishment of the model of testicular UU infection by inoculating the bladder with UU suspension and the other 10 injected with normal saline as controls (group A). At 7 days after inoculation, the rat models of testicular UU infection were treated orally with normal saline (group B), ZDD at 1 g per kg of the body weight per day (group C), and azithromycin at 0.105 g per kg of the body weight per day (group D), respectively, once daily for 21 days. Then all the animals were sacrificed and the epididymal and testicular tissues collected for examination of sperm motility with the color sperm dynamic detection system, measurement of the COX activity with the immunohistochemical DAB method, and determination of the mRNA expressions of COXⅠ and COXⅡ by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with group A, group B showed significant decreases in such sperm parameters as grade a sperm (ï¼»1.03 ± 0.09ï¼½ vs ï¼»0.07 ± 0.03ï¼½ %, P<0.01), grade b sperm (ï¼»2.07 ± 0.52ï¼½ vs ï¼»0.35 ± 0.13ï¼½ %, P<0.01), straight line velocity (VSL) (ï¼»10.95 ± 0.98ï¼½ vs ï¼»6.78 ± 1.05ï¼½ µm/s, P<0.01), curvilinear velocity (VCL) (ï¼»42.03 ± 1.35ï¼½ vs ï¼»38.10 ± 7.65ï¼½ µm/s, P>0.05), average path velocity (VAP) (ï¼»16.22 ± 1.52ï¼½ vs ï¼»10.05 ± 1.80ï¼½ µm/s, P<0.01), and the mRNA expressions of COX Ⅰ (ï¼»2.25 ± 0.24ï¼½ vs ï¼»0.93 ± 0.10ï¼½ %, P<0.01) and Ⅱ (ï¼»6.72 ± 0.37ï¼½ vs ï¼»2.95 ± 0.78ï¼½ %, P<0.01). After treatment, all the parameters were remarkably increased in groups C and D (grade a sperm ï¼»1.11 ± 0.30ï¼½ and ï¼»0.60 ± 0.19ï¼½%; grade b sperm ï¼»2.40 ± 0.59ï¼½ and ï¼»1.32 ± 0.27ï¼½ %; VSL ï¼»12.11 ± 1.62ï¼½ and ï¼»11.47 ± 1.21ï¼½ µm/s; VCL ï¼»54.30 ± 2.35ï¼½ and ï¼»45.75 ± 1.64ï¼½ µm/s; VAP ï¼»18.40 ± 1.27ï¼½ and ï¼»16.69 ± 1.02ï¼½ µm/s; expression of COXⅠ mRNA ï¼»1.86 ± 0.30ï¼½ and ï¼»1.74 ± 0.17ï¼½ %) as compared with those in group B (P<0.05or P<0.01) except the COX activity and the expression of COX Ⅱ mRNA (P>0.05), and all the parameters were significantly higher in group C than in D (P<0.05or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: UU infection can reduce grades a and b sperm, linear, curvilinear and mean sperm velocities, and the mRNA expressions of COX Ⅰ and Ⅱ while ZDD can improve these parameters. The improvement of sperm motility may not be associated with the activity of COX, and the COX activity may be related to the mRNA expression of COX II but not that of COXⅠ.