OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Yijingfang on CatSper1 in the mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced oligoasthenospermia.

METHODSForty Kunming male mice were randomly divided into a control group (CG), a model group (MG), a small-dose Yijingfang group (SG), and a large-dose Yijingfang group (LG). The mice of CG were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline at 60 mg/kg once a day, while those of MG, SG and LG with cyclophosphamide, all for 5 days. During the next 34 days, the mice of SG and LG received intragastric administration of Yijingfang once a day, the former at a dose 2 times and the latter 5 times that of human routine usage, those of MG given the same volume of normal saline, and CG normally fed. At 35 days, we measured the sperm count, percentages of grades a + b and a + b + c sperm, and the expression of CatSper1 in the epididymal sperm of the mice.

RESULTSThe sperm counts of CG, MG, SG and LG were (5.20 +/- 1.34), (1.73 +/- 0.03), (2.08 +/- 0.01) and (3.31 +/- 0.56) x 10(6)/ml, respectively, significantly lower in MG than in CG (P < 0.05), but higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05). The grade a + b sperm constituted (14.49 +/- 0.30), (6.64 +/- 1.88), (11.99 +/- 1.01) and (19.40 +/- 3.13)% in CG, MG, SG and LG, respectively, remarkably lower in MG than in CG (P < 0.05) but higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05); the grade a + b + c sperm accounted for (68.39 +/- 15.13), (39.96 +/- 4.89), (62.28 +/- 4.43) and (73.61 +/- 5.05)%, respectively, obviously lower in MG than in CG (P < 0.05) but higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05); the CatSper1 expressions were 0.76 +/- 0.05, 0.73 +/- 0.03, 0.75 +/- 0.12 and 0.85 +/- 0.04, respectively, markedly higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIntraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide decreases the sperm count, percentages of grades a + b and a + b + c sperm, and the expression of CatSper1 in mice, while large-dose Yijingfang can increase the above parameters, and hence contributes to the treatment of oligoasthenospermia.