OBJECTIVETo investigate effect of Epimedium flavonoids (EF), positively controlled by caloric restriction (CR) method, in retarding aging of the model organism C. elegans, in order to establish a basis for studying its action mechanism.

METHODSExperiment for life-time analysis was conducted on animals grouped into the blank group, the CR group, and the high and low dose EF groups to observe their mean lifespan, maximum lifespan and age-dependent mortality. And the reproductive capacity test and acute heat-stress analysis were carried out in the blank group and the high dose EF group to observe the subalgebra and the mean survival time under acute heat-stress at 35 degrees C.

RESULTSAs compared with the blank group, the mean lifespan in the two EF group and the maximum lifespan in the high dose EF group were higher, and the age-dependent mortality in the high dose EF group was lower significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01); as compared with the CR group, the mean lifespan and maximum lifespan in the high dose EF group were higher (P<0.01); but no significant difference of the subalgebra between the blank group and the high dose EF group was shown (P>0.05). Compared with the blank group, the mean lifespan in the high dose EF group was significantly prolonged under acute heat-stress at 35 degrees C (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONEF can retard the aging of C. elegans without damage on the reproductive capacity, and significantly improve its capacity against acute heat-stress.

Aging ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; drug effects ; physiology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Female ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Hot Temperature ; adverse effects ; Longevity ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects

This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive performance of Japanese black cows following the 3rd injection of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue administered concurrently with Ovsynch-based treatment on day 6 (day 1 = the day of ovulation). In Experiment 1, 12 cows were allocated into three groups: a control group that was subjected to Ovsynch treatment and then injected with a placebo on day 6; group 1 (Ovsynch + GnRH), which was subjected to Ovsynch treatment and was injected with GnRH analogue on day 6, and group 2 (Ovsynch + controlled internal drug-release (CIDR) + GnRH), which received Ovsynch-CIDR treatment and was injected with GnRH analogue on day 6. Blood collection and ultrasonographic observation of the ovaries were conducted daily. Both treatments induced the formation of an accessory corpus luteum and significantly increased the cross-sectional area of the luteal tissue when compared to the control. However, plasma progesterone (P(4)) was significantly higher in the treatment groups than in the control group on days 11, 12, 17 and 18 in the group 1 and from day 10 to 21 in the group 2. In Experiment 2, 41 cows were assigned to the same three groups described above and then artificially inseminated on day 1. The pregnancy rates on day 45 did not differ among groups. In conclusion, administration of GnRH analogue on day 6 following Ovsynch-based treatment did not improve the reproductive performance of Japanese black cows, even though the P(4) concentration was higher in groups that received the GnRH.
Animals ; Cattle ; Corpus Luteum/anatomy & histology/drug effects/physiology ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Estrus/drug effects/physiology ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Japan ; Ovulation/drug effects/physiology ; Placebos ; Progesterone/blood ; Reproduction/drug effects/*physiology

AIMto investigate the effects of crude garlic on adult male rat reproductive functions.

METHODSThirty male rats were divided into five groups: group 1 (untreated) and groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed for 30 days with 5%, 10%, 15% and 30% crude garlic, respectively. Testes and accessory organs were weighed and some markers were assessed. Light and electron microscopy observations were also performed.

RESULTSA significant decrease was observed in the body weight of groups 4 (14%; P < 0.01) and 5 (20%; P < 0.01); of the prostate weight in group 5 (29.1%; P < 0.05) and of seminal vesicle weight in groups 3 (14.4%; P < 0.01), 4 (18.3%; P < 0.01) and 5 (27.3%; P < 0.01). In contrast, testis and epididymis weights were unchanged. In epididymis tissue, the alpha glucosidase activity and the spermatozoa density were unchanged. The treatment resulted in a significant decrease in testosterone serum levels in groups 3 (77.3%; P < 0.01), 4 (77.3%; P < 0.01) and 5 (90.9%; P < 0.01), associated with a significant increase in LH serum levels (P < 0.01). Testicular histology showed a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of empty seminiferous tubules. Moreover, testicular function was affected; a significant decrease in phosphatase acid activity (P < 0.01) and testosterone (P < 0.05) contents were observed.

CONCLUSIONCrude garlic consumption during 1 month reduced testosterone secretion and altered spermatogenesis at 10%, 15% and 30% doses.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Garlic ; adverse effects ; Leydig Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Plant Preparations ; pharmacology ; Prostate ; drug effects ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; physiology ; Seminal Vesicles ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sperm Count ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; physiology ; Testis ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Testosterone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation on the testicular histology and reproductive endocrine function in male rats and investigate the possible mechanism of inflammation affecting male fertility.

METHODSThirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (A) and three LPS intervention groups (B, C, and D) to receive saline and LPS (5 mg/kg i. p, once), respectively. The animals in groups B, C, and D were killed by anesthesia at 12, 24, and 72 hours after treatment. Histopathological changes in the left testis of the rats were observed by HE staining and the levels of the reproductive hormones T, FSH, and LH in the serum were determined by ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with group B, group A showed clear structure of seminiferous tubules, orderly arrangement of spermatogenic cells, a slightly decreased number of sperm in some seminiferous tubular lumens, and shed spermatogenic cells in the rat testis tissue; group C exhibited thinner seminiferous epithelia, disordered structure of seminiferous tubules, irregular arrangement of spermatogenic cells, decreased number of mature sperm and obvious shedding of spermatogenic cells in seminiferous tubular lumens; group D manifested similar findings to those of group C, with even more shed spermatogenic cells that blocked the tubular lumens. The levels of serum T, LH, and FSH were (0.490 +/- 0.028) ng/ml, (6.290 +/- 0.515) ng/L, and (1.837 +/- 0.127) IU/L in group A, (0.460 +/- 0.024) ng/ml, (5.881 +/- 0.124) ng/L, and (1.707 +/- 0.098) IU/L in group B, (0.417 +/- 0.021) ng/ml, (5.123 +/- 0.271) ng/L, and (1.620 +/- 0.115) IU/L in group C, and (0.378 +/- 0.021) ng/ml, (4.504 +/- 0.279) ng/L and (1.562 +/- 0.216) IU/L in group D, all decreased in group B as compared with A (P > 0.05). The decreases of T and LH were extremely significant (P < 0.01) and that of FSH was significant in groups C and D (P < 0.05) in comparison with A.

CONCLUSIONLPS-induced inflammation affects the testicular tissue and reproductive endocrine function of male rats, resulting in decreased levels of serum T, LH, and FSH.

Animals ; Endocrine System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Fertility ; drug effects ; physiology ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; toxicity ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Reproduction ; Seminiferous Tubules ; drug effects ; pathology ; Spermatocytes ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; pathology ; Testosterone ; blood

Sophora moorcroftiana (S. moorcroftiana) is an endemic leguminous dwarf shrub in Tibet, China. Decoctions of the seeds have been used in Chinese folk medicine for dephlogistication, detoxication, and infectious diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the constituent and biological effects of polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds (SMpol) were extracted with 60% ethanol and constituent was analyzed by GC-MS. SMpol was composed of glucose, galactose and inositol in the molar ratio of 35.7 : 1.3 : 17.0. Synchronized worms were treated with SMpol and then lifespan, motility, reproduction, stress resistance and antimicrobial activity were examined. Compared with the control group, the lifespan was increased to the average of 27.3 days and the number of laying eggs showed a 1.3-fold increase in nematodes treated with SMpol (4 mg·mL). In SMpol (4 mg·mL) treated worms, there was a 1.1-fold increase in 24-h survival of acute heat stress and a 1.6-fold increase in 2-h survival of oxidative stress The colonization of the bacteria in the SMpol treated nematode was significantly lower than that of the untreated group by 68.3%. In vivo studies showed SMpol significantly extended the life span, improved reproduction, increased stress resistance and antimicrobial capacity of C. elegans. In conclusion, those results indicated that the polysaccharides from S. moorcroftiana seeds were involved in a variety of biological activities leading to its modulatory effects on C. elegans which may be developed as a natural supplement agent.
Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; drug effects ; physiology ; Longevity ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Stress, Physiological ; drug effects

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) on the reproductive capacity and life-span of Drosophila melanogaster. METHODS: Drosophila melanogaster images within 8 h after eclosion were collected with ether anesthesia. The female and male of similar size and normal shape and behavior were selected. The Drosophila melanogasters were cultured in the culture medium containing LAS of different densities. We divided the Drosophila melanogaster into 4 groups according to LAS concentrations: a low dose group with LAS 150 mg/kg, a middle dose group with LAS 300 mg/kg,a high dose group with LAS 600 mg/kg, and a control group without LAS, respectively. The changes of the reproductive capacity, median lethal time, mean life-span and max mean life-span of drosophila melanogaster with different doses of LAS were measured and compared with those of the control. RESULTS: The pupa numbers of filial generation of Drosophila melanogaster in the low, middle, and high dose groups (85.07%, 84.59% and 71.88%, respectively) were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). The median lethal time, mean life-span and max mean life-span of Drosophila melanogaster in the low, middle, and high dose groups were shorter than those in the control group (P<0.05). The change of life-span of Drosophila melanogaster in the high dose group was remarkable: the median lethal time of female and male shortened 13 days and 15 days, the mean life-span of female and male shortened 18 days and 14 days, and the max mean life-span of female and male shortened 14 days and 12 days, respectively. CONCLUSION LAS has definite toxicity to Drosophila melanogaster, which can degrade the reproductive capacity of Drosophila melanogaster and shorten the life-span of Drosophila melanogaster.
Alkanesulfonic Acids ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drosophila melanogaster ; physiology ; Female ; Life Expectancy ; Longevity ; Male ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Surface-Active Agents ; pharmacology ; toxicity

OBJECTIVEPrevious work has showed that excess iron accumulation is harmful to reproduction and even promotes death; however, whether the multiple biological toxicity of iron (Fe) exposure could be transferred to progeny remains unknown. The present study used Caenorhabditis elegans to analyze the multiple toxicities of iron exposure and their possible transferable properties.

METHODSThree concentrations of iron sulfate solution (2.5 micromol/L, 75 micromol/L, and 200 micromol/L) were used. The endpoints of lifespan, body size, generation time, brood size, head thrash and body bend frequencies, and chemotaxis plasticity were selected to investigate Fe toxicity and its effect on progeny in Caenorhabditis elegans.

RESULTSThe Fe toxicity could cause multiple biological defects in a dose-dependent manner by affecting different endpoints in nematodes. Most of the multiple biological defects and behavior toxicities could be transferred from Fe-exposed Caenorhabditis elegans to their progeny. Compared to the parents, no recovery phenotypes were observed for some of the defects in the progeny, such as body bend frequency and life span. We further summarized the defects caused by Fe exposure into 2 groups according to their transferable properties.

CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that Fe exposure could cause multiple biological defects, and most of these severe defects could be transferred from Fe exposed nematodes to their progeny.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; physiology ; Body Size ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; drug effects ; genetics ; physiology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Iron ; toxicity ; Iron Compounds ; toxicity ; Life Expectancy ; Phenotype ; Reproduction ; Soil Pollutants ; toxicity ; Sulfates ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of morphine on male reproductive ability and its mechanisms in the rat model of morphine tolerance.

METHODSTwenty male SD rats were equally randomized to groups I (control) and II (morphine tolerance). On the 1st day, the basic paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) was obtained from all the rats followed by subcutaneous injection of morphine at 10 mg/kg and then calculation of the percentage of the maximal possible effect (MPE) at 30 min after administration. On the 2nd day, the rats of group I were injected subcutaneously with saline and those of group I with morphine at 10 mg/kg bid for 7 days. Then all the rats were killed after behavioral tests and their testes and epididymides harvested for sperm counting and determina- tion of the expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSOn the 1st day, no obvious differences were ob- served between the two groups in the basic PWTL or the percentage of MPE. On the 7th day, the percentage of MPE was significantly decreased in group II as compared with group I (P < 0.05), while the basic PWTL showed no marked difference between the two groups. Group II also exhibited a significantly reduced epididymal perm count (P < 0.05) and remarkably upregulated expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 in comparison with group I.

CONCLUSIONMorphine might increase testicular cell apoptosis and reduce sperm concentration by upregulating the expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 in the rat model of morphine tolerance.

Analgesics, Opioid ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Drug Tolerance ; physiology ; Hot Temperature ; Male ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Sperm Count ; Testis ; drug effects ; Time Factors ; Up-Regulation ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

AIMTo evaluate the testosterone mimetic properties of icariin.

METHODSForty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 15 months were randomly divided into four groups with 12 rats each: the control group (C), the model group (M), the icariin group (ICA) and the testosterone group (T). The reproductive system was damaged by cyclophosphamide (intraperitoneal injection, 20 mg/kg x day) for 5 consecutive days for groups M, ICA and T, at the sixth day, ICA (gastric gavage, 200 mg/kg x day) for the ICA group and sterandryl (subcutaneous injection, 5 mg/rat . day) for the T group for 7 consecutive days, respectively. The levels of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), serum bone Gla-protein (BGP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in serum (StrACP) were determined. The histological changes of the testis and the penis were observed by microscope with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP-X nick end labeling (TUNEL), respectively.

RESULTS(1) Icariin improved the condition of reproductive organs and increased the circulating levels of testosterone. (2) Icariin treatment also improved the steady-state serum BGP and might have promoted bone formation. At the same time, it decreased the serum levels of StrACP and might have reduced the bone resorption. (3) Icarrin suppressed the extent of apoptosis of penile cavernosal smooth muscle cells.

CONCLUSIONIcariin has testosterone mimetic properties and has therapeutic potential in the management of hypoandrogenism.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cyclophosphamide ; toxicity ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epididymis ; anatomy & histology ; drug effects ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; physiology ; Seminal Vesicles ; anatomy & histology ; drug effects ; Testis ; anatomy & histology ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; blood ; pharmacology

ObjectiveTo explore the antagonistic effect of vitamin E (VE) on male reproductive toxicity induced by di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in pubertal SD rats and its underlying mechanisms.

METHODSThirty 5-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups of equal number, corn oil control, low-dose (10 mg/kg/d), medium-dose (100 mg/kg/d) and high-dose DEHP exposure (500 mg/kg/d), and VE intervention (high-dose DEHP + VE ［100 mg/kg/d］), and treated respectively for 30 successive days. At 3 days after treatment, the testes of the animals were harvested for determination of the oxidative stress index, serum reproductive hormone levels, cauda epididymal sperm parameters, and expressions of cell apoptosis-related genes and proteins.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the rats of the medium- and high-dose DEHP groups showed significant decreases in the levels of such serum reproductive hormones as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T), sperm parameters as average path velocity (VAP), straight line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straightness (STR), linearity (LIN) and wobble (WOB), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxide (GSH-Px), but significant increases were observed in the latter two groups in the content of malondialdehyde (MDA)(［3.32±0.87］ nmol/mg pro vs ［2.13±0.49］ nmol/ mg pro), mRNA expressions of Bad, Bax, Cytochrome C, Caspase-3 and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and protein expressions of Cytochrome C and Caspase-3. In comparison with the high-dose DEHP group, the VE intervention group exhibited remarkably increased serum LH and T levels, sperm VAP, VSL, VCL, STR and WOB, and activities of SOD and GSH-Px, but markedly decreased mRNA expressions of Bad, Bax, Cytochrome C, Caspase-3 and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as well as the protein expressions of Cytochrome C and Caspase-3 in the testis tissue (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSExposure to DEHP induces androgen secretion disorders, causes oxidative damage to the testicular tissue, activates the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in the testis, and ultimately reduces the quality of epididymal sperm, while VE can protect the rat testis from DEHP-induced reproductive toxicity.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; genetics ; Autophagy-Related Protein 5 ; metabolism ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Epididymis ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reproduction ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; physiology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Testis ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; blood ; Vitamin E ; pharmacology