RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Fleece Flower Root Granule, which consists of Fleece Flower Root, Desert-living Root, Achyranthes Root, and so on,possesses the effects of nourishing the liver and kidney, supplementing essence and blood, and prolonging life.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of. Fleece Flower Root Granule, a Chinese remedy, on the content of serum testosterone and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen of testicular spermatogenic cell in subacute aging rat induced by D-galactose.DESIGN: A controlled study with completely randomized grouping design.SETTING: Institute of Basic Medicine of Chengde Medical College.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted in Institute of Basic Medicine of Chengde Medical College from April to July 2003. Totally 32 adult male SD rats were at random divided into 4 groups: normal control group, model group, drug group and negative control group,with 8 in each group.METHODS: [1] The rats in model group, drug group and negative control group were intraperitoneally injected D-galactose, 200 mg/kg ,once a day for consecutive 40 days to establish subacute aging rat models. After model was set up, no treatment was given further for rats in model group; while rats in drug group were intragastrically given Fleece Flower Root Granule (The granule was made from sex Chinese medicinal herbs of Fleece Flower Root, Achyranthes, Root Desertliving Root, Poria, Red Sage Root and Epimedium, the concentration was 1.5 g/L in raw drug after decoction and preparation); rats in negative group were intragastrically given normal saline, in the same volume as that of the Granule and the time as the same with that for the rats in drug group. Rats in normal control group, with no model establishment, were given the same intervention with that for rats in negative group. [2]Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) was used for the level of serum testosterone, and inmmunohistochemistry was used for the condition of expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, with the karyon in orange brawn yellow being taken as positive. [3]Measurement difference was analyzed by t-test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The content of serum testosterone and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen of testicular spermatogenic cell of rats in each group.RESULTS: All 32 rats entered the result analysis. [1] The level of serum testosterone:the level of testosterone in model group was obviously lower than that in normal control group [(0.52±0.14),(1.26±0.32)μg/L, P＜ 0.05]; the level in drug group was obviously higher than that in model group [(1.16±0.32)μg/L, P ＜ 0.05]. [2] The positive rate of testicular proliferating cell nuclear antigen in rats: The rate in model group was obviously lower than that in normal control group [(23.26±3.38)%,(39.15±3.48)%, P ＜ 0.05]; and the rate in drug group was obviously higher than that in model group [(37.47±3.18)%, P ＜ 0.05]. [3]rhe distribution and change of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in seminiferous tubule: The positive staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was found in slices of all groups, the immunological positive products were located at karyon, usually in brown yellow granules, only a small part of them in diffuse state; the immunological positive cells were mainly the spermospores, besides a small quantity were spermiocyte, supporting the cell and myoid cell nuclear to be stained.CONCLUSION: Fleece Flower Root Granule can increase the content of serum testosterone and reduce the level of expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen of testicular spermatogenic cell in aging rat, thus delaying degeneration of genital function, possessing a certain role in delaying aging.