Abstract
Corni fructus (CO), the fruit of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., is known by the common name of Asiatic cornelian cherry and dogwood fruit and it has been considered to possess tonic actions and enhance the motility of human sperm. In this study, we investigated the effects of CO on sperm analysis, serum testosterone, lipid peroxidation and the expression of CREM in rat testes. After 56 days treatment of CO, the epididymal sperm counts significantly increased of 46.92% than those in the vehicle treated group (p < 0.01). The sperm motility also significantly improved of 24.07% by the treatment of CO (p < 0.05). Serum testosterone levels in control and CO-treated groups were 3.65 +− 1.14 nmol/L and 5.35 +− 1.27 nmol/L, respectively. CO treatment significantly reduced the lipid peroxide (LPO) production of 54.67% in the rat testes. The relative expression of CREM mRNA in the CO treated group was 153.11% than that in the control group (p < 0.05). Western blotting analysis confirmed this data. In conclusion, CO has improved the sperm parameters, LPO production, the serum testosterone level. Moreover, CREM expressions were stimulated by CO in the RNA and protein levels. From these results, CO has the enhancing effects on reproductive functions through multiple pathways.
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