Abstract
Introduction Wuzi Yanzong (WZYZ) formula, a famous traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, has been widely used to treat kidney essence insufficiency-induced oligoasthenozoospermia in ancient and modern clinical practice. Previous studies have demonstrated that WZYZ formula exhibits significantly therapeutic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of WZYZ formula on the reproductive hormone levels and the TGF-β1/Smads signal pathway in the testis, to explore the underlying mechanisms of WZYZ formula to improve spermatogenic function of testis in rats with oligoasthenozoospermia. Materials and Methods In order to control the quality of the drug, the main components of the WZYZ formula were analyzed by HPLC. A rat model of oligoasthenozoospermia was established, by daily administration of tripterygium glucosides for 4 weeks, and treated with 1.62g/kg of WZYZ formula. The testes were histopathologically examined and serum levels of gonadotropin release hormone (GnRH), estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured by ELISA. TGf-β1, Smad2, and Smad4 mRNA and protein levels in the testis were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), and Western blotting (WB). Result Oral administration of WZYZ formula restored testicular structure and significantly increased the histology score in the oligoasthenozoospermic rats. In addition, WZYZ also significantly increased the serum levels of GnRH, LH, E2, and T and decreased that of FSH. Meanwhile, TGf-β1, Smad2, and Sma4 expression levels were significantly decreased. Conclusions WZYZ alleviates oligoasthenozoospermia by restoring the reproductive hormones and targeting the TGf-β1/Smads pathway.
Highlights
Wuzi Yanzong (WZYZ) formula, a famous traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, has been widely used to treat kidney essence insufficiency-induced oligoasthenozoospermia in ancient and modern clinical practice
We found that WZYZ formula improved the sperm motility, viability, and density in a rat model of oligoasthenozoospermia induced by tripterygium wilfordii (GTW), in addition to increasing the weight of the testis and seminal vesicle gland
Oligoasthenozoospermia significantly increased serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and decreased that of gonadotropin release hormone (GnRH), T, luteinizing hormone (LH), and E2 relative to the control group, which were restored by WZYZ formula (p
Summary
Wuzi Yanzong (WZYZ) formula, a famous traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, has been widely used to treat kidney essence insufficiency-induced oligoasthenozoospermia in ancient and modern clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of WZYZ formula on the reproductive hormone levels and the TGF-β1/Smads signal pathway in the testis, to explore the underlying mechanisms of WZYZ formula to improve spermatogenic function of testis in rats with oligoasthenozoospermia. Oral administration of WZYZ formula restored testicular structure and significantly increased the histology score in the oligoasthenozoospermic rats. WZYZ significantly increased the serum levels of GnRH, LH, E2, and T and decreased that of FSH. WZYZ alleviates oligoasthenozoospermia by restoring the reproductive hormones and targeting the TGf-β1/Smads pathway. Sperm production depends on the nourishment of kidney essence, which influences reproductive function, growth, and
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