ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of water decoction of the root of Crataegus cuneata on infertility induced by multi-glucoside of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Male adult rats were randomly divided into five groups, which were treated via gastric gavage of distilled water (1 mL x kg(-1)) , solution of GTW (10 mg x kg(-1)) and three doses of water decoction of root of C. cuneata (1.8, 5.4, 18 g x kg(-1)) + GTW (10 mg x kg(-1)), respectively. 8 weeks later, GTW was stopped and the decoction and water continued for another 4 weeks. And then, all the male rats were copulated with adult female rats. The rates of pregnancy, average numbers of embryos and luteum of female rats, relative weights of reproductive organs, sperm counts, sperm motility and viability were compared among all the groups. The histology and ultrastructure of testis and epididymis were observed, while the concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testostorone (T) in serum and T in testicular homogenate were detected by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with those in GTW model group, the embryo numbers, the relative weight of testis and epididymis and sperm counts and motility in C. cuneata groups were increased obviously (P < 0.05). After treatment, the morphological damages of seminiferous tubules and sperms were recovered, while concentrations of T in testicular homogenate were also significantly increased (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>C. cuneata could relieve the reproductive lesions induced by GTW, and hence improve the uberty of the male infertile model rats.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Male , Rats , Crataegus , Chemistry , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Pharmacology , Glucosides , Infertility, Male , Metabolism , Pathology , Plant Roots , Chemistry , Plants, Medicinal , Chemistry , Random Allocation , Rats, Wistar , Sperm Motility , Spermatogenesis , Testis , Metabolism , Testosterone , Blood , Metabolism , Tripterygium , ChemistryABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of testis murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection on mature sperm viability in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BALB/c mice without MCMV infection, screened by ELISA, were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 64) and a control group (n = 40). The former were directly inoculated with MCMV into the testis, while the latter treated by inoculation of DMEM without MCMV. The mice in both of the groups were sacrificed respectively at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 14, 21, 38 d postinoculation (D1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 14, 21, 38 PI), the testis was examined histopathologically, and meanwhile the viability of mature sperms in the epididymis cauda was measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MCMV basophil inclusion bodies were found in the Leydig cells in the experimental group, and spermatogenic cells were vacuolated and arranged disorderly. Compared with the control group, the sperm viability in the experimental group was decreased significantly by 71.42% to 56.04% (P < 0.05) on D1 PI.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The sperm viability in mice might be descended significantly by MCMV infection in the early period, but restored to normal with time. This shows that MCMV infection might influence procreation transiently.</p>