Effect of Modified Wuzi Yanzong Pill () on Tip60-Mediated Apoptosis in Testis of Male Rats after Microwave Radiation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a modified Wuzi Yanzong Pill (, WZYZP) on the male rats' testis after microwave radiation, as well as its potential mechanism. METHODS: Forty-five male rats were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group, the radiation group, and the WZYZP group. The rats in the radiation group and WZYZP group were exposed to microwave radiation for 15 min once, while the rats in the control group were not exposed to any radiation. The rats in the WZYZP group were given a modified of WZYZP by gavage daily for 7 days. Apoptosis in the testis was evaluated using terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Histopathological alterations of the testis were observed by haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Tat-interactive protein, 60kD (Tip60) and p53 expressions were determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: The apoptosis index (AI) in the radiation group was higher than that of the WZYZP group and control group on day 1 (D1), day 7 (D7) day 14 (D14) after radiation (P<0.05). The seminiferous tubules were of normal morphology in the control group. In the radiation group, the partial seminiferous tubules were collapsed, basement membranes of the seminiferous epithelia became detached. WZYZP could restore the morphological changes. There was no expression of Tip60 among the three groups on D7 and D14. The expression of p53 was higher in the radiation group than in the control group (P<0.05). WZYZP could down-regulate the rising p53 induced by radiation on D7 and D14 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: A modified WZYZP may affect germ cells, and its protective effects may partly result from its ability to intervene in Tip60 mediated apoptosis.

[Yijingfang increases the expression of CatSper1 in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Yijingfang on CatSper1 in the mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced oligoasthenospermia. METHODS: Forty Kunming male mice were randomly divided into a control group (CG), a model group (MG), a small-dose Yijingfang group (SG), and a large-dose Yijingfang group (LG). The mice of CG were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline at 60 mg/kg once a day, while those of MG, SG and LG with cyclophosphamide, all for 5 days. During the next 34 days, the mice of SG and LG received intragastric administration of Yijingfang once a day, the former at a dose 2 times and the latter 5 times that of human routine usage, those of MG given the same volume of normal saline, and CG normally fed. At 35 days, we measured the sperm count, percentages of grades a + b and a + b + c sperm, and the expression of CatSper1 in the epididymal sperm of the mice. RESULTS: The sperm counts of CG, MG, SG and LG were (5.20 +/- 1.34), (1.73 +/- 0.03), (2.08 +/- 0.01) and (3.31 +/- 0.56) x 10(6)/ml, respectively, significantly lower in MG than in CG (P < 0.05), but higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05). The grade a + b sperm constituted (14.49 +/- 0.30), (6.64 +/- 1.88), (11.99 +/- 1.01) and (19.40 +/- 3.13)% in CG, MG, SG and LG, respectively, remarkably lower in MG than in CG (P < 0.05) but higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05); the grade a + b + c sperm accounted for (68.39 +/- 15.13), (39.96 +/- 4.89), (62.28 +/- 4.43) and (73.61 +/- 5.05)%, respectively, obviously lower in MG than in CG (P < 0.05) but higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05); the CatSper1 expressions were 0.76 +/- 0.05, 0.73 +/- 0.03, 0.75 +/- 0.12 and 0.85 +/- 0.04, respectively, markedly higher in LG than in MG (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide decreases the sperm count, percentages of grades a + b and a + b + c sperm, and the expression of CatSper1 in mice, while large-dose Yijingfang can increase the above parameters, and hence contributes to the treatment of oligoasthenospermia.

Delay-induced inward and outward spiral waves in oscillatory medium.

Inward and outward spiral waves as well as inward target waves are induced by local delay feedback in a reaction-diffusion system exhibiting a Turing hexagon pattern spontaneously. The system gives rise to large-amplitude sinusoidal oscillations when the inward spiral waves are observed. Compared with the inward spirals, the outward spiral waves usually possess longer wavelength and exhibit larger amplitude relaxation oscillations. Varying the feedback parameters continuously, the inward spiral waves are transformed into outward spirals through a turbulent state. The dispersion analysis about the delayed system reveals that there is an unstable band on the dispersion curve, where the turbulent state arises. The dispersion curve is divided into two parts by the unstable band. The inward spiral waves exist in the left part with negative group velocity, i.e., domega/dk<0, while the outward spiral waves are stable in the right part with domega/dk>0 (omega is frequency and k wavenumber).

Superlattice patterns and spatial instability induced by delay feedback.

Various oscillatory superlattice patterns in a reaction-diffusion system are observed by means of delay feedback (DF) in the parametric domain where the system without DF displays uniform bulk oscillation. By varying DF parameters within an appropriate range, the system undergoes transitions to oscillatory hexagons, stripes and squares, and square superlattices with different wavenumbers are also obtained. Linear stability analysis reveals that the patterns do not result from the Turing instability and a possible mechanism of pattern formation is suggested and proved analytically: DF induces instability of a homogeneous limit cycle with respect to spatial perturbations even if the Turing instability does not occur, so that oscillatory patterns possessing the corresponding spatial modes are produced. The different behavior of the dominant characteristic multiplier seems to be connected to the pattern selection. Here it is clearly demonstrated that DF can play a destabilizing role in spatially extended system instead of stabilizing the periodic orbits or turbulent states, which most earlier works have usually focused on.

Pattern transitions induced by delay feedback.

Modulated by delay feedback (DF), a reaction-diffusion system is destabilized and undergoes pattern transitions in the parametric region where the undelayed system spontaneously exhibits a bulk oscillation. By varying the feedback parameters, oscillatory hexagon superlattices and stripes, as well as stationary hexagons are observed. Meanwhile, the hexagon superlattices with different wavelengths are found under appropriate feedback parameters. It is demonstrated that, since the DF induces an instability of homogeneous limit cycle with respect to spatial perturbations, the patterns possessing the corresponding spatial modes are formed. Instead of stabilizing the system, here the DF may play a role of destabilization.