The protective effect of cordyceps sinensis extract on cerebral ischemic injury via modulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Cerebral ischemia is a common refractory brain disease, resulting from a reduction in the blood flow to the brain. Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to ischemic stroke and brain injury. Cordyceps sinensis (CS) is an important traditional Chinese medicine, which has been linked to neuroprotection in recent studies. In this study, we investigated the role of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway on the protective effect of Cordyceps sinensis extract (CSE) against cerebral ischemia injury both in vivo and in vitro. In a murine middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, administration of CSE relieved neuronal morphological damage and attenuated the neuronal apoptosis. CSE also reduced neurobehavioral scores and oxygen free radical (OFR), while improving the levels of ATP, cytochrome c oxidase (COX), and mitochondrial complexes I-IV. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of Bax, cytochrome c (Cyt c) and caspase-3 were down-regulated. In brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD), CSE prevented OGD-induced cellular apoptosis, and recovered the reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Moreover, CSE treatment induced an increase of Bcl-2 protein expression and a decrease of Bax, Cyt c and caspase-3 protein expression. Meanwhile, the caspase-3, -8, and -9 activities were also inhibited. The results indicate that CSE can relieve cerebral ischemia injury and exhibit protective effects via modulating the mitochondrial respiratory chain and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

[Bazi Granules improves sperm quality in rats with oligoasthenozoospermia induced by multi-glycosides of tripterygium wilfordii].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Bazi Granules on sperm quality in male rats with oligoasthenozoospermia (OAS) induced by multi-glycosides of tripterygium wilfordii (GTW). METHODS: Thirty-six SD male rats were randomly divided into six groups of equal number: normal control, OAS model control, Wuziyanzong Pills (WYP), and low-, medium- and high-dose Bazi. The OAS model was established in the rats except those of the normal control group by intragastrical delivery of GTW at 30 mg/kg/d for 40 days. From the 41st day, the animals of the normal and OAS model control groups were fed with distilled water, those of the WYP group treated by gavage with WYP at 1.02 g/kg/d, and those of the low-, medium- and high-dose Bazi groups intragastically given Bazi Granules 3 (5.27 g/kg), 6 (10.54 g/kg) and 12 (21.08 g/kg) times, respectively, that of the human-equivalent dose. Semen parameters and the contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the testis tissue were determined after 28 days of treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the rats of the of the high-, medium- and low-dose Bazi groups, compared with the OAS model controls, showed significant increases in sperm concentration (ï¼»1 050.71 ± 203.71ï¼½, ï¼»1 370.06 ± 166.01ï¼½ and ï¼»1 302.53 ± 476.51ï¼½ vs ï¼»617.01 ± 237.08ï¼½ ×106/ml, P < 0.05), sperm motility (ï¼»0.56 ± 0.24ï¼½%, ï¼»0.73 ± 0.14ï¼½% and ï¼»0.70 ± 0.23ï¼½% vs ï¼»0.07 ± 0.05ï¼½%, P < 0.05), sperm average path velocity (ï¼»85.71 ± 30.35ï¼½, ï¼»83.83 ± 10.31ï¼½ and ï¼»75.06 ± 19.70ï¼½ vs ï¼»43.45 ± 38.74ï¼½ µm/s, P < 0.05), sperm curvilinear velocity (ï¼»101.76 ± 23.28ï¼½, ï¼»119.60 ± 21.22ï¼½ and ï¼»102.11 ± 32.89ï¼½ vs ï¼»53.63 ± 47.91ï¼½ µm/s, P < 0.05), sperm straight line velocity (ï¼»62.75 ± 7.63ï¼½, ï¼»67.80 ± 5.05ï¼½ and ï¼»64.11 ± 12.03ï¼½ vs ï¼»40.18 ± 36.86ï¼½ µm/s, P < 0.05), and the SOD level (ï¼»380.23 ± 75.07ï¼½, ï¼»349.53 ± 97.48ï¼½ and ï¼»415.07 ± 72.01ï¼½ vs ï¼»304.62 ± 27.17ï¼½ U/mg, P < 0.05), but a remarkable decrease in the MDA level (ï¼»0.33 ± 0.16ï¼½, ï¼»0.22 ± 0.05ï¼½ and ï¼»0.34 ± 0.22ï¼½ vs ï¼»0.73 ± 0.20ï¼½ nmol/mg, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bazi Granules can significantly improve the sperm quality of OAS rats, which may be related to its abilities of repairing oxidative stress injury and enhancing oxidation resistance.