Duzhong Butiansu Prescription Improves Heat Stress-Induced Spermatogenic Dysfunction by Regulating Sperm Formation and Heat Stress Pathway

Ying Hou; Peipei Yuan; Yang Fu; Qi Zhang; Yaxin Wei; Liyuan Gao; Li Liu; Xiaolan Wang; Xiaoke Zheng; Weisheng Feng

doi:10.1155/2020/6723204

Duzhong Butiansu Prescription Improves Heat Stress-Induced Spermatogenic Dysfunction by Regulating Sperm Formation and Heat Stress Pathway

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Feb 27:2020:6723204. doi: 10.1155/2020/6723204. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ying Hou¹, Peipei Yuan¹, Yang Fu¹, Qi Zhang¹, Yaxin Wei¹, Liyuan Gao¹, Li Liu², Xiaolan Wang¹, Xiaoke Zheng^{1

3}, Weisheng Feng^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
² Guizhou HanFang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guizhou 550081, China.
³ Co-construction Collaborative Innovation Center for Chinese Medicine and Respiratory Diseases by Henan & Education Ministry of China, Zhengzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Duzhong Butiansu (DZBTS) prescription contains many traditional Chinese medicines and has been shown to have a curative effect on male fertility. However, the efficacy and mechanism of DZBTS in the treatment of male infertility induced by heat stress have not been reported. The aim of the present study is to elucidate the effect and mechanism of DZBTS on spermatogenic function of a heat stress model in rats.

Methods: Male Wistar rats (280-320 g) were given different doses of DZBTS (0.4853 g/kg/d or 0.9707 g/kg/d), Shengjing capsule (0.56 g/kg/d), or double distilled water for 15 days. A 43°C hot water bath for 30 minutes was used to stimulate the testis of rats. Sperm count, sperm motility, the organ index of kidney and gonadal organs, serum sex hormone levels, and serum oxidising reaction index were measured. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the morphology of the testis and kidney. The expression of Hsp70 in testes was observed by immunofluorescence. The changes in heat stress, reproductive-related protein, and mRNA were measured by western blot assay and RT-qPCR.

Results: Heat stress downregulated the levels of sex hormone (P < 0.05 or P < 0.05 or P < 0.05 or P < 0.05 or P < 0.05 or P < 0.05 or P < 0.05 or.

Conclusions: Our results for the first time have found that DZBTS can improve spermatogenesis disorder in a heat stress model in rats, which may be mainly by regulating AR, sperm regulatory protein CREB1, and the HSF/Hsp70 signaling pathway to decrease oxidative stress.