[Danhong Tongjing Prescription improves sperm quality in patients with bilateral varicocele after varicocelectomy]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of Danhong Tongjing Prescription (DTP) on sperm quality in patients with bilateral varicocele (VC) after microsurgical varicocelectomy.

METHODS

We randomly assigned 68 patients with bilateral VC to receive microsurgical varicocelectomy (the control group, n = 34) or microsurgical varicocelectomy followed by oral administration of DTP for a course of 90 days (the DTP group, n = 34). Before and after treatment, we obtained the sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), sperm acrosomal enzyme activity, inhibin B (Inh-B) level, and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) from the patients and compared the parameters between the two groups.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences in sperm concentration, PMS, acrosomal enzyme activity or sperm DFI among the patients with different degrees of VC preoperatively. After 3 months of medication, sperm concentration, total sperm count, total sperm motility, PMS and acrosomal enzyme activity were all increased while DFI decreased in both the control and DTP groups, even more significantly in the DTP group than in the control, and the Inh-B level was also markedly elevated in the DTP group in comparison with the baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

The severity of bilateral VC is not correlated with the reduction of semen quality. DTP can improve sperm quality by improving total sperm count, PMS and acrosomal enzyme activity and reducing DFI in VC patients after varicocelectomy. The underlying mechanisms of the prescription may be related to its anti-oxidative stress action and abilities of improving reproductive hypoxia, spermatogenic environment and the function of Sertoli cells, but the specific signaling pathway involved is not yet clear.

[Impacts of aluminum on sperm quality and sperm mitochondria in male rats]

OBJECTIVE

To study the impacts of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) on the sperm quality, sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and sperm mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (MPTP) function of male rats, and the possible mechanisms of AlCl3 inducing the declination of sperm quality.

METHODS

According to the median lethal dose (LD50) of AlCl3・6H2O in drinking water, we randomly assigned 96 male Wistar rats weighing 180－200 g to four groups of equal number and fed them with AlCl3 aqueous drinking water at 256.72 mg/kg/d (1/5 LD50, high-dose group), 128.36 mg/kg/d (1/10 LD50, medium-dose group), 64.18 mg/kg/d (1/20 LD50, low-dose group) and 0 mg/kg/d (control group), respectively, all for 16 weeks. Then, we examined the quality of the epididymal sperm of the rats, observed the morphology of the sperm mitochondria under the transmission electron microscope, and determined the MMP level of the sperm mitochondria and the function of the MPTP by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The percentage of progressively motile sperm was significantly decreased in the low-, medium- and high-dose AlCl3 groups as compared with that in the control group (［46.49 ± 5.37］%, ［33.50 ± 8.75］% and ［16.94 ± 5.00］% vs ［66.28 ± 5.68］%, P < 0.01), that of dead sperm was remarkably increased (［19.73 ± 5.57］%, ［35.80 ± 5.90］% and ［55.19 ± 4.97］% vs ［12.71 ± 4.84］%, P < 0.01), and so was that of morphologically abnormal sperm (［19.06 ± 2.44］%, ［23.78 ± 3.29］% and ［32.06 ± 4.65］% vs ［14.56 ± 1.62］%, P < 0.01). Sperm mitochondrial swelling was aggravated in the AlCl3-exposed rats in a dose-dependent manner. The sperm MMP level was significantly lower in the low-, medium- and high-dose AlCl3 groups than in the control (［60.88 ± 7.37］%, ［51.54 ± 6.12］% and ［37.70 ± 7.44］% vs ［74.35±4.67］%, P < 0.01), with a negative correlation to the dose of AlCl3 (rs = －0.819, P < 0.01), while the pathologically open MPTP was markedly higher in the former three than in the latter group (［27.80 ± 5.74］%, ［36.58 ± 6.67］% and ［64.95 ± 8.07］% vs ［15.37 ± 7.13］%, P < 0.01), with a positive correlation to the dose of AlCl3 (rs = 0.867, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to aluminum can cause sperm mitochondrial swelling, decrease the sperm MMP level, induce pathological opening of the MPTP, and consequently reduce sperm quality in male rats.

[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 (［1 050.71 ± 203.71］, ［1 370.06 ± 166.01］ and ［1 302.53 ± 476.51］ vs ［617.01 ± 237.08］ ×10⁶/ml, P < 0.05), sperm motility (［0.56 ± 0.24］%, ［0.73 ± 0.14］% and ［0.70 ± 0.23］% vs ［0.07 ± 0.05］%, P < 0.05), sperm average path velocity (［85.71 ± 30.35］, ［83.83 ± 10.31］ and ［75.06 ± 19.70］ vs ［43.45 ± 38.74］ μm/s, P < 0.05), sperm curvilinear velocity (［101.76 ± 23.28］, ［119.60 ± 21.22］ and ［102.11 ± 32.89］ vs ［53.63 ± 47.91］ μm/s, P < 0.05), sperm straight line velocity (［62.75 ± 7.63］, ［67.80 ± 5.05］ and ［64.11 ± 12.03］ vs ［40.18 ± 36.86］ μm/s, P < 0.05), and the SOD level (［380.23 ± 75.07］, ［349.53 ± 97.48］ and ［415.07 ± 72.01］ vs ［304.62 ± 27.17］ U/mg, P < 0.05), but a remarkable decrease in the MDA level (［0.33 ± 0.16］, ［0.22 ± 0.05］ and ［0.34 ± 0.22］ vs ［0.73 ± 0.20］ 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.

[Resveratrol protects human sperm against cryopreservation-induced injury]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of resveratrol in the cryopreservation medium on the quality and function of post-thaw sperm.

METHODS

Semen samples were obtained from 50 normozoospermic and 50 oligoasthenozoospermic men, liquefied and then cryopreserved in the glycerol-egg yolk-citrate (GEYC) medium with or without 30 μmol/L resveratrol. Sperm motility, viability and acrosome reaction (AR) were examined before and after thawing. Sperm lipid peroxidation and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using commercial malondialdehyde (MDA) and the ROS assay kit. Sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and DNA damage were determined by Rhodamine 123 staining and TUNEL.

RESULTS

The percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), total sperm motility, sperm viability, MMP and AR were significantly decreased (P <0.05) while the levels of sperm ROS, MDA and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) remarkably increased in both the normozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia groups after cryopreservation as compared with those in the fresh ejaculate (P <0.05). In comparison with the non-resveratrol control, the post-thaw sperm cryopreserved with 30 μmol/L resveratrol showed markedly higher PMS (［32.7 ± 4.8］ vs ［43.1 ± 6.3］ %, P <0.05), total motility (［44.8 ± 6.9］ vs ［56.9 ± 7.4］ %, P <0.05), viability (［52.3 ± 6.1］ vs ［67.5 ± 5.6］ %, P <0.05), MMP (［56.5 ± 7.0］ vs ［63.4 ± 7.5］ %, P <0.05) and AR (［16.6 ± 3.8］ vs ［26.3 ± 4.7］ %, P <0.05) but lower ROS, MDA and DFI (all P <0.05) in the normozoospermia group, and so did the post-thaw sperm in the oligoasthenozoospermia group, with a particularly lower DFI (［28.5 ± 4.8］ vs ［36.3 ± 5.7］%, P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Resveratrol in the cryopreservation medium can improve the quality and function of post-thaw human sperm by reducing cryopreservation-induced sperm injury and the level of ROS.