The clinical practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has proved that Cistanche deserticola has the function of tonifying the kidney and strengthening Yang, replenishing essence and blood, moistening intestinal tracts, and so is a treasure of nourishing herbs in Chinese Medicine. In recent years, focusing on the tonifying kidney Yang, its reproductive effects of Cistanche deserticola in pharmacology and toxicology have been deeply studied, and the relevant research results have attracted wide attention from TCM researchers. In this review, the role of Cistanche deserticola extracts in regulating reproductive function was reviewed. The comprehensive analysis shows that the Cistanche deserticola extract regulates the reproductive endocrine of both female and male, which can improve the reproductive function, and provides a modern biological basis for the classical viewpoint of " Cistanche deserticola tonifying kidney and Yang".

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of Wenjing Decoction in treating endometriosis syndrome with cold coagulation and blood stasis.Methods:A randomized controlled trial was performed. A total of 90 cases were collected and with distributed random number method of drugs were divided into control group and the treatment group with 45 cases each. The treatment group was given Wenjing Decoction granules, while control group was given placebo (10% Wenjing Decoction). Both groups were taken for 14 consecutive days from the first day of menstruation as a course of 1, a total of 3 courses. Before and after treatment, main observation indexes including dysmenorrhea, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes and the secondary outcome including scores of menstruation, short form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were detected by subjective evaluation, interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) level in human serum tissue were evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and the clinical and TCM syndromes specific effects were determined.Results:Totally 7 patients were lost, including 1 case in the treatment group and 6 cases in control group. The number of actual observation cases was 83 (44 cases in the treatment group and 39 cases in control group). The clinical effective rate in the treatment group [75.00% (33/44)] was statistically higher than that in control group [23.08% (9/39), P<0.001]. As for therapeutic effect of TCM syndromes, the effective rate in the treatment group [70.45% (31/44)] was obviously higher than that in control group [20.51% (8/39), P<0.001]. After treatment, compared with the results of control group, menstruation [2.00 (1.00,4.00)], dysmenorrhea [7.25 (5.00,9.88)], SF-MPQ [10.00 (4.50,18.00)], TCM syndromes [13.50 (9.25, 20.00)] and the data of IL-8 [9.80 (5.73,27.53) ng/L], TNF-α [5.05 (4.10,6.20) ng/L] and PGF2α [(147.16±22.24) ng/L] in the treatment group were decreased obviously [4.00 (2.00,6.00), P=0.022; 8.00 (6.50,12.00), P=0.030; 13.00 (4.00,24.00), P<0.001; 17.00 (9.00, 26.00), P<0.001; 18.20 (10.00,30.90) ng/L, P=0.013; 5.80 (4.50,10.70) ng/L, P=0.035;(165.17±30.33) ng/L, P=0.001]. Conclusion:Wenjing Decoction can treat TCM syndromes of endometriosis patients with cold coagulation and blood stasis, and the clinical curative effect was significant. The mechanism may involve enhancing immunity and relieving uterine smooth muscle contraction.

The clinical practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has proved that Cistanche deserticola has the function of tonifying the kidney and strengthening Yang, replenishing essence and blood, moistening intestinal tracts, and so is a treasure of nourishing herbs in Chinese Medicine. In recent years, focusing on the tonifying kidney Yang, its reproductive effects of Cistanche deserticola in pharmacology and toxicology have been deeply studied, and the relevant research results have attracted wide attention from TCM researchers. In this review, the role of Cistanche deserticola extracts in regulating reproductive function was reviewed. The comprehensive analysis shows that the Cistanche deserticola extract regulates the reproductive endocrine of both female and male, which can improve the reproductive function, and provides a modern biological basis for the classical viewpoint of " Cistanche deserticola tonifying kidney and Yang".

Objective:To explore the clinical effects of Wenjing Decoction in treating endometriosis syndrome with cold coagulation and blood stasis.Methods:A randomized controlled trial was performed. A total of 90 cases were collected and with distributed random number method of drugs were divided into control group and the treatment group with 45 cases each. The treatment group was given Wenjing Decoction granules, while control group was given placebo (10% Wenjing Decoction). Both groups were taken for 14 consecutive days from the first day of menstruation as a course of 1, a total of 3 courses. Before and after treatment, main observation indexes including dysmenorrhea, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndromes and the secondary outcome including scores of menstruation, short form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were detected by subjective evaluation, interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) level in human serum tissue were evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and the clinical and TCM syndromes specific effects were determined.Results:Totally 7 patients were lost, including 1 case in the treatment group and 6 cases in control group. The number of actual observation cases was 83 (44 cases in the treatment group and 39 cases in control group). The clinical effective rate in the treatment group [75.00% (33/44)] was statistically higher than that in control group [23.08% (9/39), P<0.001]. As for therapeutic effect of TCM syndromes, the effective rate in the treatment group [70.45% (31/44)] was obviously higher than that in control group [20.51% (8/39), P<0.001]. After treatment, compared with the results of control group, menstruation [2.00 (1.00,4.00)], dysmenorrhea [7.25 (5.00,9.88)], SF-MPQ [10.00 (4.50,18.00)], TCM syndromes [13.50 (9.25, 20.00)] and the data of IL-8 [9.80 (5.73,27.53) ng/L], TNF-α [5.05 (4.10,6.20) ng/L] and PGF2α [(147.16±22.24) ng/L] in the treatment group were decreased obviously [4.00 (2.00,6.00), P=0.022; 8.00 (6.50,12.00), P=0.030; 13.00 (4.00,24.00), P<0.001; 17.00 (9.00, 26.00), P<0.001; 18.20 (10.00,30.90) ng/L, P=0.013; 5.80 (4.50,10.70) ng/L, P=0.035;(165.17±30.33) ng/L, P=0.001]. Conclusion:Wenjing Decoction can treat TCM syndromes of endometriosis patients with cold coagulation and blood stasis, and the clinical curative effect was significant. The mechanism may involve enhancing immunity and relieving uterine smooth muscle contraction.

OBJECTIVE：To study the improvement eff ects and its mech anism of Guiyuan decoction formula granules （GDFG） on model mice with decreased ovarian reserve （DOR）. METHODS ：Totally 42 female ICR mice whith with normal estrous cycle were randomly divided into control group ，model group ，estradiol valerate group （positive control ，0.15 mg/kg）and GDFG low-dose，medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.75，1.49，2.98 g/kg），with 7 mice in each group. Except for control group ，other groups were given cisplatin （3 mg/kg）intraperitoneally to establish DOR model. After modeling ，administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically；model group and control group were given normal saline intragastrically ，once a day ，for consecutive 4 weeks. After last administration ，ELISA assay was used to measure the serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）and follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）in mice. Histopathological morphology of ovarian was observed by HE staining. Protein distribution of AMH receptor Ⅱ（AMHRⅡ）and Smad 4 in ovarian tissue were observed by immunohistochemistry. Protein expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 were detected by Western blot assay. RESULTS ：Compared with control group ，theserum level of AMH ，the expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian tissue in model group were significantly decreased （P＜0.01），while the FSH level in serum was significantly increased （P＜0.01）；follicles were crumpled and lost nucleus ，ovarian interstitial were fibrosis ，luteum were loose ； AMHRⅡ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian tissue were mainly distributed in the follicle membrane and ovarian interstitial. Compared with model group ，the serum level of AMH ，the expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian tissue was increased significantly in GDFG groups （P＜0.01），while the serum level of FSH was decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）；in ovarian tissue ，follicles at all levels could be found and follicle morphology was improved ，and no obvious nuclear loss and cumulus formation were found ；AMHRⅡ and Smad 4 protein were mainly distributed in the follicular nucleus （except for GDFG high-dose group) and the granular cell membrane （mainly distributed in the sinus follicles of GDFG medium-dose group ）；they were slightly distributed around the mature follicular nucleus or in corpus luteum. CONCLUSIONS ：GDFG can improve ovarian function of DOR model mice. The mechanism may be related with promoting serum level of AMH ，protein expression of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4，improving the distribution of AMHR Ⅱ and Smad 4 protein in ovarian granulosa cell membrane and follicular nucleus ， reducing FSH levels.