Jujing Zhuyu decoction inhibits apoptosis in rats with asthenozoospermia by regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Jujing Zhuyu decoction (JZD) is a traditional Chinese medicine that effectively improves sperm motility. However, the molecular mechanism of JZD on asthenozoospermia still remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of JZD on the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in an asthenozoospermia rat model. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups-control, tripterygium glycosides (GTW) model, JZD-low (JZD-L), JZD-medium (JZD-M), and JZD-high (JZD-H) groups (n = 12/group). GTW was used to generate the asthenozoospermia model. The JZD-L, JZD-M, and JZD-H groups were administered 5, 10, or 15 g kg-1  day-1 of JZD granules respectively, for 4 weeks. Testicular tissue morphology was examined using histological staining, while sperm count was determined using manual and computer-aided semen analyses. Apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was detected with the TUNEL assay, and the expression of proteins and genes related to mitochondrial apoptosis was detected using western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction respectively. Histomorphological evaluation revealed superior seminiferous tubule structure and arrangement as well as improved spermatogenic cell morphology in the JZD-L, JZD-M, and JZD-H groups compared to those in the model group. Moreover, semen quality and the apoptotic index were significantly improved in the JZD-L, JZD-M, and JZD-H groups compared to those in the model group. Additionally, the mRNA expression and protein abundance of Apaf-1, Bax, Cyto-c, and caspase-3 was reduced, while those of Bcl-2 were increased in all JZD groups compared to those in the model group. JZD reduces the apoptosis rate of sperm cells and significantly promotes sperm survival by regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. This mechanism provides experimental support for the treatment of asthenozoospermia by JZD.

[Xianfang Huoming Decoction improves sperm quality in asthenospermia mice: An investigation based on the detoxification and sperm-nourishing method].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of Xianfang Huoming Decoction (XHD) improving sperm motility in mice with asthenospermia (AS). METHODS: Thirty normal BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups, blank control, AS model control, low-dose XHD, medium-dose XHD, high-dose XHD and levocarnitine + vitamin E (LC+VE). The AS model was established in the latter five groups by injection of methotrexate at 0.5 mg/kg once a week, and the mice in the blank control group were injected with the same volume of normal saline, all for 8 weeks. From the ninth week, the animals in the blank control and AS model control groups were treated with PBS at 0.1 ml/d, those in the low-, medium- and high-dose XHD groups with XHD at 7.13, 14,2 and 28.52 g/kg/ d respectively, and those in the LC+VE group with LC+VE (30:1) at 0.55 g/kg/d, all for 4 weeks. Then, the bilateral epididymides were harvested from all the mice for preparation of a sperm suspension and observation of the total numbers of sperm and motile sperm. The testis tissues were obtained for to determination of the expressions of Nrf-2- and HO-1-related mRNA and proteins by fluorescence staining, RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the AS model controls, the mice treated with low-, medium- and high-dose XHD showed dramatically increased sperm concentration (ï¼»22.36 ± 16.02ï¼½ vs ï¼»39.04 ± 4.50ï¼½, ï¼»40.76 ± 6.57ï¼½ and ï¼»41.04 ± 8.39ï¼½ ×106/ml, P < 0.01) and motility (ï¼»22.89 ± 14.96ï¼½% vs ï¼»47.98 ± 4.74ï¼½%, ï¼»48.53 ± 6.03ï¼½% and ï¼»49.31 ± 6.24ï¼½%, P< 0.01), decreased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (ï¼»16.82 ± 14.96ï¼½% vs ï¼»12.08 ± 3.26ï¼½%, ï¼»10.77 ± 2.21ï¼½% and ï¼»9.56 ± 2.08ï¼½%, P< 0.01), and up-regulated expressions of Nrf-2- and HO-1-related mRNA and proteins in the testis tissue (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Xianfang Huoming Decoction inhibits the development of oxidative stress by up-regulating the expressions of Nrf-2- and HO-1-related mRNA and proteins in the testis tissue, which has provided theoretical evidence for its clinical application in the treatment of asthenospermia.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Verify the Mechanism of Qinshi Simiao San in Treating Chronic Prostatitis in the Rat Model.

BACKGROUND: Using network pharmacology and molecular docking, this study aimed to explore the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and molecular mechanism of Qinshi Simiao San (QSSMS) in the treatment of chronic prostatitis (CP) and verify our findings in the rat model. METHODS: The APIs of QSSMS and the common targets of QSSMS and CP were screened from the TCMSP database. The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to construct the network graph. The enriched GO and KEGG pathways were displayed by David software and R software. Molecular docking was performed to visualize key components and target genes. In addition, the rats model of CP was established to verify the molecular mechanism of QSSMS. RESULTS: Network pharmacology showed that the APIs of QSSMS mainly included quercetin, kaempferol, formononetin, isorhamnetin, and calycosin. QSSMS alleviated CP mainly through the negative regulation of the apoptotic process, oxidation-reduction process, inflammatory response, and immune response. Molecular docking showed that the APIs could bind to the corresponding targets. QSSMS repaired the pathological damage of prostate tissue, upregulated the expression of oxidative stress scavenging enzymes CAT and SOD, and downregulated the peroxidative product MDA, inflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, COX-2, PGE2, and NGF, and immune factors IgG and SIgA. CONCLUSION: The APIs in QSSMS may inhibit inflammation in the rat CP model by regulating immune and oxidative stress.

The effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of male infertility associated with sperm DNA fragmentation: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) may hinder embryonic development and growth, increasing the risk of spontaneous miscarriage, and is considered an important factor affecting male infertility (MI). Traditional Chinese herbal medicine is considered effective in the treatment of MI due to SDF by nourishing kidney essence or promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis. The objective of this systematic review protocol is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine on the treatment of MI associated with SDF. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP Chinese Science, Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Database until the end of 2020 for English and Chinese published literature. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of MI associated with SDF will be included. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by 2 reviewers, and the quality evaluation and risk assessment were assessed by the Cochrane collaboration's tool, and use the RevMan 5.3 software for meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of MI due to SDF, which may provide some help for the clinician's decision. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020221053.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of chronic prostatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a common disease in the outpatient department of males and urology. Clinical studies have found that acupuncture combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has achieved good results in treating CP, but its efficacy and safety are not completely clear. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with TCM in the treatment of CP. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture combined with TCM in treating CP were screened by searching PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, etc. The retrieval time was from the database establishment date to March 31, 2021. The Cochrane Collaborative Risk Bias Assessment tool was used to evaluate literature's methodological quality of the literature. The RevMan5.4 software was used for the meta-analysis of outcome indicators. The TSA v0.9 software was used for sequential trial analysis (TSA) of effectiveness. RESULTS: In this study, 19 related randomized controlled trial studies were included, with a total of 1831 cases. The results of the meta-analysis showed that acupuncture combined with TCM could significantly improve the clinical efficacy of CP (OR = 3.76, 95%CI: 2.82 to 5.02, P < .00001), reduce the total score of The National Institutes of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index (MD = -4.00, 95%CI: -4.67 to 3.33, P < .00001), and improve patients' urination symptoms (MD = -1.10, 95%CI: -1.23 to -0.97, P < .00001), alleviated the pain symptoms of patients (MD = -2.38, 95%CI: -2.41 to -2.35, P < .00001), improved the quality of life of patients (MD = -1.69, 95%CI: -1.97 to -1.41, P < .00001), decreased the scores of TCM symptoms of patients (MD = -2.39, 95%CI: -3.45 to -1.33, P < .00001), and did not increase the adverse reactions of patients (MD = 1.09, 95%CI: 0.57 to 2.06, P = .8). The results of publication bias showed that this study was not affected by publication bias, and the conclusion was reliable. TSA showed that acupuncture combined with TCM was effective in treating CP. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture combined with TCM is safe and effective for alleviating CP. It can be used as an effective treatment for chronic prostatitis in the clinic.Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/Z8FJM.