[Metformin improves polycystic ovary syndrome and activates female germline stem cells in mice].

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disease caused by complex endocrine and metabolic abnormalities in women of childbearing age. Metformin is the most widely used oral hypoglycemic drug in clinic. In recent years, metformin has been used in the treatment of PCOS, but its mechanism is not clear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of metformin on PCOS and its mechanism through PCOS mouse model. Female C57BL/6J mice aged 4-5 weeks were intragastrically given letrozole (1 mg/kg daily) combined with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 21 days to establish the PCOS model. After modeling, metformin (200 mg/kg daily) was intragastrically administered. One month later, the body weight and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured. Hematoxylin eosin (H&E) staining was used to detect the pathological changes of ovary. The serum levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), E2 and testosterone (T) were measured by ELISA. The expression of DDX4/MVH was detected by immunohistochemistry. DDX4/MVH and PCNA were co-labeled by immunofluorescence. The protein levels of DDX4/MVH, PCNA, cyclin D2, AMPK and mTOR were detected by Western blot. The results showed that after metformin treatment, the body weights of PCOS mice were gradually returned to normal, glucose tolerance was significantly improved, serum E2 levels were increased, while AMH, LH, T levels and LH/FSH ratio were decreased. Ovarian polycystic lesions were reduced with reduced atresia follicles. Furthermore, the number of proliferative female germline stem cells (FGSCs) and levels of proliferation related proteins (PCNA, cyclin D2) were significantly increased, and the p-mTOR and p-AMPK levels were markedly up-regulated. These results suggest that metformin treatment not only improves hyperandrogenemia, glucose intolerance and polycystic ovarian lesions in PCOS, but also activates the function of FGSCs. The underlying mechanism may be related to the phosphorylation of AMPK and mTOR. These findings provide new evidence to use metformin in the treatment of PCOS and follicular development disorder.

Coumarin and 3,4-dihydroquinolinone derivatives: Synthesis, antidepressant activity, and molecular docking studies.

BACKGROUND: Coumarin and 3,4-dihydroquinolinone nuclei are two heterocyclic rings that are important and widely exploited for the development of bioactive molecules. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of 3,4-dihydroquinolinone and coumarin derivatives (Compounds 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18-20, 23, 24 and 28 are new compounds) and studied their antidepressant activities. METHODS: Forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of the target compounds. The most active compound was used to evaluate the exploratory activity of the animals by the open-field test. 5-HT concentration was estimated to evaluate if the compound has an effect on the mouse brain, by using ELISA. A 5-HT1A binding assay was also performed. The biological activities of the compounds were verified by molecular docking studies. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the target compounds were predicted by Discovery Studio and ChemBioDraw Ultra. RESULTS: Of all the compounds tested, compound 7 showed the best antidepressant activity, which decreased the immobility time by 65.52 s in FST. However, in the open-field test, compound 7 did not affect spontaneous activity. The results of 5-HT concentration estimation in vivo showed that compound 7 may have an effect on the mouse brain. Molecular docking results indicated that compound 7 showed significant interactions with residues at the 5-HT1A receptor using homology modeling. The results show that compound 7 exhibits good affinity for the 5-HT1A receptor. CONCLUSION: Coumarin and 3,4-dihydroquinolinone derivatives synthesized in this study have a significant antidepressant activity. These findings can be useful in the design and synthesis of novel antidepressants.

Diagnostic significance of microRNAs as novel biomarkers for bladder cancer: a meta-analysis of ten articles.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have revealed the importance of microRNAs' (miRNAs) function as biomarkers in diagnosing human bladder cancer (BC). However, the results are discordant. Consequently, the possibility of miRNAs to be BC biomarkers was summarized in this meta-analysis. METHODS: In this study, the relevant articles were systematically searched from CBM, PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The bivariate model was used to calculate the pooled diagnostic parameters and summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve in this meta-analysis, thereby estimating the whole predictive performance. STATA software was used during the whole analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-one studies from 10 articles, including 1556 cases and 1347 controls, were explored in this meta-analysis. In short, the pooled sensitivity, area under the SROC curve, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were 0.72 (95%CI 0.66-0.76), 0.80 (0.77-0.84), 0.76 (0.71-0.81), 3.0 (2.4-3.8), 8 (5.0-12.0), and 0.37 (0.30-0.46) respectively. Additionally, sub-group and meta-regression analyses revealed that there were significant differences between ethnicity, miRNA profiling, and specimen sub-groups. These results suggested that Asian population-based studies, multiple-miRNA profiling, and blood-based assays might yield a higher diagnostic accuracy than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis demonstrated that miRNAs, particularly multiple miRNAs in the blood, might be novel, useful biomarkers with relatively high sensitivity and specificity and can be used for the diagnosis of BC. However, further prospective studies with more samples should be performed for further validation.

Diabetes associated with male reproductive system damages: Onset of presentation, pathophysiological mechanisms and drug intervention.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major health problem that affects patients' quality of life quality throughout the world due to its many complications. Reproductive dysfunction is one of the major secondary complications in both diabetic animals and human beings. Furthermore, DM has recently broken the age barrier and has been heavily diagnosed in children and young persons of reproductive age. In the past few years, many studies on DM in male reproductive functions in both diabetic men and experimental diabetic animals have been published. It is recognized that sustained hyperglycemia, which impairs reproductive function in diabetic men, is at risk of developing. DM harmfully affects male reproductive functions in multiple areas; these may include spermatogenesis, sperm maturation, fertility capability, penile erection, and ejaculation. Traditional medicine and folklore worldwide have used numerous medicinal plants to manage the diabetic reproductive dysfunction because bioactive phyto-constituents are affluent in many places. Unfortunately, the exact reasons for diabetic male reproductive dysfunction are not completely understood and currently there are no treatments in reproductive medicine specifically for such lesions. The aim of this review is to summarize current research findings of DM on reproductive functions, to elaborate the underlying mechanisms related to these diseases via in vivo and in vitro studies, and to describe the ameliorative effects of medicinal plants or their products. The review findings provide a systematic understanding of DM on the reproductive functions and lay the theoretical foundation for developing the direction of reproductive medicine.

[Design and implementation of a long wavelength near infrared spectrometer based on MEMS scanning mirror].

Long Wavelength Near InfraRed (LW-NIR) spectrometer has wide applications. Miniaturization and low-cost are two major goals of the development of LW-NIR spectrometer in the industrial or research community. Under the background that having a trend of spectrometer miniaturization and integration, method and main problems involved in miniaturization of LW-NIR spectrometer through MEMS scanning mirror, such as the design strategy of the light-splitting optical system, selection considerations of the MEMS scanning mirror, design method of the preamplifier circuit, etc, have been presented in detail. A prototype of miniaturized LW-NIR spectrometer, with the spectrum range of detection of 900-2,055 nm, is designed and implemented using MEMS scanning mirror, InGaAs single detector unit with high sensitivity. Littrow optical layout is used for its light-splitting optical system, and the spectral resolution is between 9.4-16 nm at 1,000-1,965 nm detection wavelength range. The prototype is successfully applied in LW-NIR spectrum measurement on pure water and ethanol aqueous solution, and a forecast analysis on ethanol aqueous solution concentration is also demonstrated. Through adopting MEMS scanning mirror into the spectrometer system, the complexity of the mechanical scanning fixtures and its controlling mechanism is greatly reduced therefore the size of the spectrometer is reduced. Furthermore, due to MEMS scanning mirror technology, LW-NIR spectrometer with single InGaAs detector is achieved, thus the cost reduction of the NIR spectrometer system is also realized because the expensive InGaAs arrays are avoided.

Evaluation of the effect of different doses of low energy shock wave therapy on the erectile function of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

To investigate the therapeutic effect of different doses of low energy shock wave therapy (LESWT) on the erectile dysfunction (ED) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. SD rats (n = 75) were randomly divided into 5 groups (normal control, diabetic control, 3 different dose LESWT treated diabetic groups). Diabetic rats were induced by intra-peritoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg) and rats with fasting blood glucose ≥ 300 mg/dL were selected as diabetic models. Twelve weeks later, different doses of LESWT (100, 200 and 300 shocks each time) treatment on penises were used to treat ED (7.33 MPa, 2 shocks/s) three times a week for two weeks. The erectile function was evaluated by intracavernous pressure (ICP) after 1 week washout period. Then the penises were harvested for histological study. The results showed LESWT could significantly improve the erectile function of diabetic rats, increase smooth muscle and endothelial contents, up-regulate the expression of α-SMA, vWF, nNOS and VEGF, and down- regulate the expression of RAGE in corpus cavernosum. The therapeutic effect might relate to treatment dose positively, and the maximal therapeutic effect was noted in the LESWT300 group. Consequently, 300 shocks each time might be the ideal LESWT dose for diabetic ED treatment.

A novel imidazopyridine derivative, HS-106, induces apoptosis of breast cancer cells and represses angiogenesis by targeting the PI3K/mTOR pathway.

Abnormal activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway is an essential step for the formation and growth of tumors in humans. HS-106 is an imidazopyridine derivative that inhibits the kinase activity of PI3K by binding to the ATP-binding cleft. We found that this compound suppressed breast cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis by specifically inhibiting the activity of target proteins in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Cell cycle analysis revealed that treatment with HS-106 resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase due to up-regulation of p-cdc25 and down-regulation of cyclin B1. Also, HS-106 induced apoptosis by increasing the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP. In addition, chromatin condensation and apoptotic bodies were detected in HS-106-treated breast cancer cells. Furthermore, HS-106 decreased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), and inhibited tube formation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and blood vessel formation in an in vivo Matrigel plug assay. These results show that HS-106 may be an effective novel therapeutic candidate in clinical trials as a potential treatment for human breast cancers or other advanced malignancies with aberrant PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling.

[Impacts of Ochotona pallasi disturbance on alpine grassland community characteristics].

Plateau pika is the main fossorial mammal in the alpine grassland in Qinghai Lake Watershed of Northwest China. Based on the field investigation data from 18 alpine grassland quadrats in the Watershed, and by using redundancy analysis (RDA) and the surface fitting offered by 'R-Vegan' , the disturbance intensity of plateau pika (Ochotona pallasi) was classified as four levels. In order to explore the impacts of plateau pika disturbance on the alpine grassland ecosystem and its grazing quality, the community characteristics under different disturbance intensities by plateau pika were analyzed, and a conceptual model about the alpine grassland community succession was proposed. The results showed that with the increase of the disturbance intensity, the dominant species changed from Juncus roemerianus to Poa pratensis and Laux maritima. When the disturbance was small, the community had high quantitative values of coverage, aboveground biomass, biodiversity, and species richness, but the proportion of weeds was also high. When the disturbance was large, the quantitative values were the lowest, while the proportion of weeds was the highest. When the disturbance was moderate, the community had relatively high quantitative values, and the proportion of grasses and sedges was the highest. It was concluded that the community' s characteristic values under low plateau pika disturbance intensity were high but the grazing quality was low, while high disturbance intensity resulted in the grassland degradation. Therefore, the disturbance intensity in the threshold could maintain the stability of alpine grassland ecosystem and improve its grazing quality.

Activation of VEGF and ERK1/2 and improvement of urethral function by adipose-derived stem cells in a rat stress urinary incontinence model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the injected autologous adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in improving stress urinary incontinence in a rodent model of parturition-related stress incontinence and the possible mechanism. METHODS: The 40 rats were developed stress urinary incontinence models by postpartum balloon dilation of the vagina for 4 hours followed by bilateral ovariectomy. ADSCs were isolated from the peri-ovarian fat and labeled with thymidine analog 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU). Twenty stress urinary incontinence rats received peri-urethral injection of phosphate-buffered saline as the negative controls and the other 20 stress urinary incontinence rats received peri-urethral injection of EdU-labeled ADSCc. Twenty control rats underwent sham ovariectomy without balloon dilation and served as positive controls. Four weeks later, voiding function was assessed by cystometry. Urethral histologic examination (Masson trichrome stain, picrosirius red stain, Hart elastin stain, Gordon and Sweet stain, and immunohistochemical stain) and Western blot were performed on urethral tissues. RESULTS: Both leak point pressure and bladder capacity were significantly increased in ADSC-treated rats, compared to the balloon-injured ovariectomized rats. Histologic examination revealed normalized appearance of the fibromuscular structure of the urethra as well as increased peri-urethral blood vessel density in ADSC-treated rats. On Western blot, vascular endothelial growth factor and P-extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs)1/2 protein was expressed at a higher rate in tissues from ADSC-treated rats compared to phosphate-buffered saline-treated rats. CONCLUSION: Peri-urethral injection of ADSCs is associated with more normal urinary function and urethral structure in rats with parturition-related incontinence. The activation of vascular endothelial growth factor and ERK1/2 may be responsible for the paracrine effects from ADSCs.

Anticancer effects of KI-10F: a novel compound affecting apoptosis, angiogenesis and cell growth in colon cancer.

The anticancer effect of a new pyrazole derivative, KI-10F (2-(4-(2-(4-(dimethylamino) phenyl)pyridin-4-yl)-5-(3-methoxy-5-methylphenyl)-1H-pyrazol­1-yl) acetonitrile)•3.5HCl) was evaluated in human colon cancer cells. KI-10F strongly suppressed the growth of human colon cancer cells and induced apoptosis by increasing the proportion of sub-G1 presenting apoptotic cells as well as causing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Apoptosis by KI-10F was confirmed by observation of an increase in the expression of cleaved caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9 and Bax, and the decrease of Bcl-2. Decreased expression of HIF-1α and VEGF, and the inhibition of HUVEC tube formation and migration showed that KI-10F effectively inhibited the angiogenesis process. Furthermore, in vivo study in a mouse xenograft model showed that KI-10F produced a stronger antitumor activity than 5-FU, a conventional anticancer drug prescribed for the treatment of colon cancer. The effects of KI-10F on tumor proliferation (PCNA), angiogenesis (CD34) and apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using isolated tumor tissue samples. Taken together, our results demonstrated that KI-10F induces apoptosis and inhibits cell growth and angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. We suggest that KI-10F is an effective chemotherapeutic candidate for use against colon cancer.

Effects of icariside II on improving erectile function in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Icariin and icariside II (ICA II), 2 active components isolated from herba epimedii, have a closely structural relationship. There is evidence that icariin may be useful in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED); however, the study on the therapeutic efficacy of ICA II on ED is currently scant. We investigated the effects of ICA II on improving erectile function of rats with streptozocin-induced diabetes. Fifty 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly distributed into normal control and diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced by a one-time intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (60 mg/kg). Three days later, the diabetic rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including a saline-treated placebo arm and 3 ICA II-treated models (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg/d). After 3 months, penile hemodynamics was measured by cavernous nerve electrostimulation (CNE) with real time intracorporal pressure assessment. Penises were harvested with subsequent histological examination (picrosirius red stain, Hart elastin stain, and immunohistochemical stain) and Western blots to explore the expression of the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) and transforming growth factor ß1 (TGFß1)/Smad2 signaling pathways. Diabetes significantly attenuated erectile responses to CNE. Diabetic rats had decreased corpus cavernosum smooth muscle/collagen ratio and endothelial cell content relative to the control group. The ratio of collagen I to III was significantly lower in the corpora of diabetic rats; furthermore, cavernous elastic fibers were fragmented in the diabetic animals. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and vascular endothelial growth factor were expressed at lower levels in the diabetic group; ICA II-treated diabetic rats had higher expression in the penis relative to placebo-treated diabetic animals. Both the TGFß1/Smad2/connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) signaling pathway and apoptosis were down-regulated in the penis from ICA II-treated rats. ICA II treatment attenuates diabetes-related impairment of penile hemodynamics, likely by increasing smooth muscle, endothelial function, and nNOS expression. ICA II could alter corpus cavernosum fibrous-muscular pathological structure in diabetic rats, which could be regulated by the TGFß1/Smad2/CTGF and NO-cGMP signaling pathways.

Pathology of urethral fibromuscular system related to parturition-induced stress urinary incontinence and TGF-ß1/Smad pathway.

To study pathological changes of fibromuscular system and the role of TGF-ß1/Smad pathway in the urethra of a parturition-induced stress urinary incontinence (SUI) rat model. Twenty-eight 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats at gestational day 16 were used and randomized into two groups: sham group and SUI group. After delivery, rats in the SUI group underwent postpartum vaginal balloon dilation and bilateral ovariectomy. 1 month after ovariectomy, urodynamics was assessed. Histological examination (Masson's trichrome stain, picrosirius red stain, Hart's elastin stain, Gordon & Sweet's stain, and immunohistochemical stain) and Western blot were performed on urethral tissues. Both leak point pressure and maximal bladder capacity were significantly decreased in the balloon-injured ovariectomized rats, compared with the sham rats. Muscle was significantly decreased in the urethra of SUI rats compare with sham rats. Collagen I/III and reticular fibers from SUI group were also significantly lower than sham group. Meanwhile, elastic fibers and reticular fibers showed fragmentation and disorganization indicating impairment in the fibromuscular system in SUI rats. TGF-ß1, MMP-9, and phosphorylated Smad2 (p-Smad2) were expressed significantly higher in SUI than in sham rats. Simulated birth trauma and menopause induced an upregulation of the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway and impairment of the fibromuscular system in the urethra.

Icariin ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetic retinopathy in vitro and in vivo.

This study investigated the effect of Icariin (ICA) supplementation on diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model system. Fifty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly distributed into a control group and a streptozotocin-induced diabetes group. Diabetic rats were randomly divided into two groups; one group received ICA 5 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks by oral gavage; the other group received saline gavage as a placebo. Retinal morphological changes, endothelial markers (RECA), collagen IV (Col-IV), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and neuropathic changes (Thy-1 and Brn3a expression) of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were investigated. The effects of ICA at various concentrations (0, 10(1), 10(2), 10(3) nmol/mL) on neurite growth were investigated also in retinal ganglion cells (RGC) cultured from both diabetic and normal animals. Numerous pathological changes (deceased expression of RECA, VEGF, Thy-1, and Brn3a as well as decreased Collagen IV and Müller cell content) were noted in the retinal vessels of diabetic rats; these changes were attenuated in diabetic animals that received ICA. ICA enhanced neurite growth in RGC from both normal rats and diabetic rats in a dose dependent fashion. ICA may be useful in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Further investigations are indicated.

The TGF-ß1/Smad/CTGF pathway and corpus cavernosum fibrous-muscular alterations in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction is associated with increased extracellular matrix deposition and reduced smooth muscle content in the corpus cavernosum. The mechanisms of these processes are not well understood. In this study, we investigated fibromuscular changes in the corpus cavernosum of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes to determine the mechanisms underlying pathologic changes in penile structure and function. Forty 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly distributed into control and diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced by a one-time intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin 60 mg/kg. Twelve weeks later, erectile function was measured by cavernous nerve electrostimulation with real-time intracorporal pressure assessment. The penis was harvested for histologic examination (Masson trichrome stain, picrosirius red stain, Hart elastin stain, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling, and immunohistochemistry) and Western blot. Diabetes significantly attenuated erectile response to cavernous nerve electrostimulation. Diabetic animals exhibited a decreased smooth muscle/collagen ratio in the corpus cavernosum. The ratio of collagen I to II fibers was significantly lower in the corpora of diabetic rats compared with controls. Cavernous elastic fibers were fragmented in diabetic rats. There was up-regulation of the transforming growth factor ß1/Smad/connective tissue growth factor signaling pathway in diabetic rats. Phospho-Smad2 expression was higher in smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts of diabetic rats, as was the apoptotic index. The up-regulation of the transforming growth factor ß1/Smad/connective tissue growth factor signaling pathway might play an important role in diabetes-induced fibrous-muscular structural changes and deterioration of erectile function.

A novel imidazopyridine analogue as a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor against human breast cancer.

Potentiation of anti-breast cancer activity of an imidazopyridine-based PI3Kα inhibitor, HS-104, was investigated in human breast cancer cells. HS-104 shows strong inhibitory activity against recombinant PI3Kα isoform and the PI3K signaling pathway, resulting in anti-proliferative activity in breast cancer cells. It also induced cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase as well as apoptosis. Furthermore, oral administration of HS-104 significantly inhibited the growth of tumor in SkBr3 mouse xenograft models. Therefore, HS-104 could be considered as a potential candidate for the treatment of human breast cancer.

Effects of icariin on improving erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

INTRODUCTION: Icariin has been shown to improve penile hemodynamics in animal models of erectile dysfunction from cavernous nerve injury and castration. The effects of icariin on penile hemodynamics in diabetic animals remain to be determined. Transforming growth factor ß1 (TGFß1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes-related erectile dysfunction. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of icariin in the penis of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat. METHODS: Two-month-old Sprague-Dawley male rats received one-time intraperitoneal (IP) STZ (60 mg/kg) or vehicle injection after a 16-hour fast. Three days later, the STZ-induced diabetic rats were randomly divided into four groups and were treated with daily gavage feedings of a 50:50 mix of normal saline and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or icariin dissolved in DMSO at doses of 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg for 3 months. A positive control group underwent IP injection of saline followed by daily gavage of saline/DMSO solution. Treatment was stopped 1 week prior to functional assay and euthanasia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Penile hemodynamics was assessed by electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerves with real-time intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurement. After euthanasia, penile tissue was studied using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-cGMP) and TGFß1/Smad2 signaling pathway. RESULTS: Diabetes attenuated ICP response in control animals. Untreated diabetic animals had decreased smooth muscle/collagen ratio and endothelial cell content in the corpora cavernosa; treatment with icariin partially attenuating these effects. Icariin-treated animals also had a significantly greater expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-positive nerves and the endothelial cell markers, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM). TGFß1/Smad2 signaling pathway was down-regulated in the penis from icariin-treated models relative to what was observed in negative control animals. CONCLUSION: Icariin treatment preserved penile hemodynamics, smooth muscle and endothelial integrity, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression in the penis of diabetic rats. Down-regulation of TGFß1/Smad2 signaling pathway might mediate this effect.

[Effects of icariin and icariside II on eNOS expression and NOS activity in porcine aorta endothelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of icariin and icariside II on eNOS expression and NOS activity in endothelial cells and possible mechanisms using EGFR over-expressed porcine aorta endothelial (PAE) cell line. METHODS: The EGFR gene was transfected into PAE cells and genetic stable cell line (PAE-EGFR) was selected. 12.5 µmol/L of icariin and of icariside II were used to treat the PAE and PAE-EGFR cells respectively for 48 h, the eNOS expression in each group was observed. EGF was also used to treat the cells to observe the regulatory effects of icariin and icariside II on NOS activity. The regulatory effects of icariin and icariside II on NOS activity were also observed, and sildenafil was used as a control. RESULTS: Western blot showed that the basic value of eNOS expression was higher in PAE-EGFR group compared with that in PAE group, both of icariin and icariside II increased the eNOS expression in PAE and PAE-EGFR group (P<0.01), and the value of eNOS expression was higher in PAE-EGFR group than that in PAE group. In the PAE-EGFR cell line, the NOS activity reached (15.37 ± 1.49) u/mg when the concentration of icariside II was 10(-8) mol/L, which was 4.66 u/mg more than that in the PAE cell line. When the concentration reached 10(-7), 10(-6) or 10(-5) mol/L, the change of NOS activity in PAE-EGFR group was greater than that in PAE group (P<0.01). icariin also increased the NOS activity in PAE and PAE-EGFR cells, but the activity was 20% lower compared with icariside II group, however, Sildenafil showed no influence on NOS activity. CONCLUSION: Icariin and icariside II may increase the eNOS expression through activating EGF-EGFR pathway in PAE cell, by which endothelial cells function could be regulated and the better effect was noted in icariside II compared to icariin.

[Changes in morphology and steroidogenic function of aged human Leydig cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of morphology and steroidogenic function in aged human Leydig cells and to understand the mechanism of late onset hypogonadism (LOH). METHODS: Ten young and ten aged male subjects were enrolled in this study. AMS (Aging Male's Symptoms) scale was used for symptom evaluation. Testes species with LOH were utilized as the research model. Then the histological changes in testis and ultrastructure of Leydig cells were observed by HE staining and electron microscopy (EM), respectively. The serum total testosterone concentrations were measured by an ELISA kit. The expressions of steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein and cholesterol-side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) were detected by western blot. RESULTS: The scores of AMS in the aged group were higher than those in the young group with decreased serum testosterone levels (61.25 ± 7.08 vs. 20.75 ± 3.73,P<0.001). And the serum testosterone level of the aged human was lower than that of the young human [(3.12 ± 0.58) µg/L vs. (6.29 ± 1.17) µg/L,P<0.05]. HE staining showed that degenerative changes occurred in the aged human testes. And many swollen mitochondria with mitochondrial cristae that disappeared were found in Leydig cells of the aged human by EM. The serum total testosterone level of the aged human was significantly lower than that of the young group. And the expressions of StAR and P450scc protein in the aged group were significantly lower than those of the young group. CONCLUSION: Mitochondrial swelling and decreased expressions of StAR and P450scc were closely related to the reduced ability of testosterone synthesis in aged males. And the exact mechanism needs further investigation.

Autophagic deficiency is related to steroidogenic decline in aged rat Leydig cells.

Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is closely related to secondary androgen deficiency in aged males, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that reduced testosterone production in aged rat Leydig cells is associated with decreased autophagic activity. Primary rat Leydig cells and the TM3 mouse Leydig cell line were used to study the effect of autophagic deficiency on Leydig cell testosterone production. In Leydig cells from young and aged rats, treatment with wortmannin, an autophagy inhibitor, inhibited luteinising hormone (LH)-stimulated steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein expression and decreased testosterone production. In contrast, treatment with rapamycin, an autophagy activator, enhanced LH-stimulated steroidogenesis in Leydig cells from aged, but not young, rats. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were increased in both young and aged Leydig cells treated with wortmannin but decreased only in aged Leydig cells treated with rapamycin. Furthermore, an increased level of ROS, induced by H(2)O(2), resulted in LH-stimulated steroidogenic inhibition. Finally, knockdown of Beclin 1 decreased LH-stimulated StAR expression and testosterone production in TM3 mouse Leydig cells, which were associated with increased intracellular ROS level. These results suggested that autophagic deficiency is related to steroidogenic decline in aged rat Leydig cells, which might be influenced by intracellular ROS levels.