Protective Effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on Reproductive Injury in Diabetic Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on improving reproductive injury in diabetic rats and its possible mechanism. MethodFifty-three SD male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups， with 1 group as the normal group and the other 4 groups as the modeling groups. Rats in the modeling groups were fed with a high-fat diet combined with 30 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin （STZ） intraperitoneal injection to induce diabetes， with the random blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L-1 for 3 consecutive times as the criteria for inclusion in the model of diabetic reproductive injury. The rats with diabetic reproductive injury were then randomly divided into a model group， a Guilu Erxianjiao group （2 g·kg-1）， a Vitamin E group （0.03 g·kg-1）， and a Wuzi Yanzong pill group （0.6 g·kg-1） according to the blood glucose level. The rats were given the corresponding drug dose intragastric administration， once a day for 4 weeks， and their body weight and blood glucose were measured weekly. After 4 weeks， samples were collected for index determination. Morphological changes in testis and epididymis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and apoptosis of testis cells was observed by in situ end labeling （TUNEL） staining. Sperm concentration and motility were detected by the semen analyzer. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and testosterone （T） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The content of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， propylene glycol （MDA）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in the testicular tissue was determined by ELISA. The expressions of nuclear respiratory factor-2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase 1 （HO-1）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax） in the testicular tissue were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， testicular tissue atrophy， decreased spermatogenic tubules， epididymal wall hyperplasia， and lumen stenosis were observed in the model group. Sperm concentration and motility decreased （P<0.01）， and serum levels of T， FSH， and LH decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis increased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The expression of Bax increased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. As compared with the model group， the pathological changes in the testis and epididymis in the Guilu Erxianjiao group were improved to some extent. Sperm concentration and motility increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the Guilu Erxianjiao group， serum levels of T and LH increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while FSH levels showed no significant difference. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis decreased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px increased （P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. The expression of Bax decreased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 increased （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. ConclusionGuilu Erxianjiao improves the reproductive injury and sperm quality of diabetic rats to a certain extent， and the mechanism may be related to the improvement of oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis.

Protective Effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on Reproductive Injury in Diabetic Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Guilu Erxianjiao on improving reproductive injury in diabetic rats and its possible mechanism. MethodFifty-three SD male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups， with 1 group as the normal group and the other 4 groups as the modeling groups. Rats in the modeling groups were fed with a high-fat diet combined with 30 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin （STZ） intraperitoneal injection to induce diabetes， with the random blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L-1 for 3 consecutive times as the criteria for inclusion in the model of diabetic reproductive injury. The rats with diabetic reproductive injury were then randomly divided into a model group， a Guilu Erxianjiao group （2 g·kg-1）， a Vitamin E group （0.03 g·kg-1）， and a Wuzi Yanzong pill group （0.6 g·kg-1） according to the blood glucose level. The rats were given the corresponding drug dose intragastric administration， once a day for 4 weeks， and their body weight and blood glucose were measured weekly. After 4 weeks， samples were collected for index determination. Morphological changes in testis and epididymis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and apoptosis of testis cells was observed by in situ end labeling （TUNEL） staining. Sperm concentration and motility were detected by the semen analyzer. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and testosterone （T） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The content of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， propylene glycol （MDA）， reactive oxygen species （ROS）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in the testicular tissue was determined by ELISA. The expressions of nuclear respiratory factor-2 （Nrf2）， heme oxygenase 1 （HO-1）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax） in the testicular tissue were detected by Western blot. ResultAs compared with the normal group， testicular tissue atrophy， decreased spermatogenic tubules， epididymal wall hyperplasia， and lumen stenosis were observed in the model group. Sperm concentration and motility decreased （P<0.01）， and serum levels of T， FSH， and LH decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis increased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. The expression of Bax increased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. As compared with the model group， the pathological changes in the testis and epididymis in the Guilu Erxianjiao group were improved to some extent. Sperm concentration and motility increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the Guilu Erxianjiao group， serum levels of T and LH increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while FSH levels showed no significant difference. The content of ROS and MDA in the testis decreased （P<0.01）， while that of SOD and GSH-Px increased （P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. The expression of Bax decreased （P<0.01）， and the expressions of Nrf2， HO-1， and Bcl-2 increased （P<0.05， P<0.01） in the Guilu Erxianjiao group. ConclusionGuilu Erxianjiao improves the reproductive injury and sperm quality of diabetic rats to a certain extent， and the mechanism may be related to the improvement of oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis.

Experimental Study on Effect of Modified Guilu Erxianjiao Decoction Combined with Cisplatin on Resistance-related Genes and IL-7-mediated Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Mice with Lewis Lung Cancer / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of modified Guilu Erxianjiao decoction combined with cisplatin on the immune function， resistance-related genes and interleukin-7（IL-7）-mediated Wnt/<italic>β</italic>-serial protein（<italic>β</italic>-catenin）signaling pathway in Lewis lung cancer mice by establishing a mouse model of Lewis lung cancer with deficiency of both Qi and Yin. And the anti-cancer mechanism of modified Guilu Erxianjiao decoction was clarified， so as to provide a basis for its clinical application. Method:A Lewis lung cancer mouse model （type of deficiency of both Qi and Yin） was established. Mice were divided into a normal group （no modeling）， a model group （saline solution）， a cisplatin group （cisplatin， 2 mg·kg^-1）， a traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） group （modified Guilu Erxianjiao decoction， 19.63 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and a combined group （modified Guilu Erxianjiao decoction， 19.63 g·kg^-1·d^-1 + cisplatin， 2 mg·kg^-1）. The 10 mice in each group were administered separately for 21 days of intervention. The general conditions and organ indexes of mice were observed， and tumor inhibition rate was calculated. CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cell （CD4⁺CD25⁺ Treg） were detected by flow cytometry， the IL-7 level of cytokines in serum was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）， and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to detect the gene expression level of drug resistance-related genes P-glycoprotein（P-gp）， and multidrug resistance protein1（MRP1）in tumor tissues. The protein expression of Wnt/<italic>β</italic>-serial protein（<italic>β</italic>-catenin）signaling pathway in tumor tissues were detected by Western blot. Result:In the TCM group and the combined group， the food intake increased， the mental state was better， the response was sensitive， and the body weight increased. Compared with the cisplatin group， the thymus index and spleen index in the combined group were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the tumor inhibition rate of the combined group was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the cisplatin group， the percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Treg/CD4⁺ in the TCM group and the combined group was significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and IL-7 in the TCM group and the combined group was significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Compared with the cisplatin group， the expressions of P-gp and MRP1 genes in the TCM group and the combined group were significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， and the protein expressions of secretory glycoprotein1（Wnt1）and <italic>β</italic>-serial protein（<italic>β</italic>-catenin）in the TCM group and the combined group were significantly reduced （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:The combined use of modified Guilu Erxianjiao decoction and cisplatin can significantly inhibit the growth of tumors in mice with Lewis lung cancer， and its mechanism of action may be related to the efficacy of m odified Guilu Erxianjiao decoction in relieving the body's immunosuppressive state， promoting the body to produce IL-7， regulating IL-7-mediated Wnt/<italic>β</italic>-catenin signaling pathway and reducing the expression of resistance-related genes in lung cancer tissues.

[Study on mechanism of Guilu Erxianjiao in treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder based on network pharmacology].

The aim of this paper was to predict the multi-compound, multi-target and multi-pathway mechanism of Guilu Erxianjiao in treating post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) based on network pharmacology. Active compounds and corresponding targets of Guilu Erxianjiao were obtained from TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, Chemistry and DrugBank database, and known therapeutic targets of PTSD were obtained from OMIM, TTD and DisGeNET Database. The protein interaction network of compound-disease was then built by combining with the STRING Database. Topological parameters of the network were analyzed by Cytoscape 3.6.0 to get key active compounds and their targets. The GO biological process analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of the key targets were conducted. Based on the results of KEGG, the "compound-target-pathway" network was built by Cytoscape 3.6.0 and the results were verified by SystemsDock online molecular docking tool. The prediction results showed that there were 67 active compounds and 420 targets for Guilu Erxianjiao, and 206 known PTSD-related therapeutic targets. Besides, 66 targets, 58 terms and 22 pathways were obtained from Cytoscape 3.6.0 topological parameters analysis, GO biological process analysis, and KEGG pathway analysis, respectively. Molecular docking results showed that both target with the maximum degree value and common targets of PTSD and Guilu Erxianjiao in the pathway can be effectively combined with their corresponding active compounds through molecular docking. The results suggested that Guilu Erxianjiao could exert anti-PTSD effect by regulating synaptic plasticity, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and promoting fear memory extinction through pathways such as LTP, PI3 K/Akt/mTOR, TNF, serotonergic synapse and dopaminergic synapse. This study provides a theoretical basis for further elucidating pharmacological mechanisms of Guilu Erxianjiao in treating PTSD.