Heat stress(HS)reaction can lead to serious physiological dysfunction associated with cardiovascular and various organ diseases.Ginsenoside Rg3(G-Rg3)is a representative component of ginseng rare saponin and can prote...Heat stress(HS)reaction can lead to serious physiological dysfunction associated with cardiovascular and various organ diseases.Ginsenoside Rg3(G-Rg3)is a representative component of ginseng rare saponin and can protect against multiple organs,also used as functional food to adjust the balance of the human body,but the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of G-Rg3 on male diseases under HS are underexplored.The aim of the present study,G-Rg3 was prepared through the efficient conversion of ginsenoside Rd and investigate the contribution of G-Rg3 to testicular injury induced exposure to HS.All mice were divided into four groups as follows:normal group,HS group,and HS+G-Rg3(5 and 10 mg/kg)groups.G-Rg3 was administered orally for 14 days,then exposed to a single scrotal heat treatment(43°C,18min)on the 7th day.After HS treatment,the morphology of testis and epididymis changes,and caused a significant loss of multinucleated giant cells,desquamation of germ cells in destructive seminiferous tubules,and degenerative Leydig cells,further destroying the production of sperm.After administration G-Rg3(5 and 10 mg/kg/day)for 2 weeks,the spermatogenic-related indexes of testosterone levels and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity,glutathione(GSH)content significantly(p<0.01)increase compared with the HS group.Moreover,G-Rg3 treatment effectively ameliorated the production of malondialdehyde(MDA)(p<0.05 or p<0.01).Importantly,G-Rg3 exhibited the protective potential against HS-induced injury not only suppressing the protein levels of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α),and heat shock protein 70(HSP70)but also modulating the Bcl-2 family(p<0.01 or p<0.001)and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathways(p<0.01).For most of the parameters tested,the HS+G-Rg3(10 mg/kg)group exhibited potent effects compared with those exhibited by the low dose(5 mg/kg)group.In conclusion,the present study demonstrated that G-Rg3 exerted protective effects against HS-induced testicular dysfunction via inhibiting the MAPK-mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis in mice.展开更多
The stromal antigen 3(STAG3)gene,encoding a meiosis-specific cohesin component,is a strong candidate for causing male infertility,but little is known about this gene so far.We identified STAG3 in patients with nonobst...The stromal antigen 3(STAG3)gene,encoding a meiosis-specific cohesin component,is a strong candidate for causing male infertility,but little is known about this gene so far.We identified STAG3 in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia(NOA)and normozoospermia in the Korean population.The coding regions and their intron boundaries of STAG3 were identified in 120 Korean men with spermatogenic impairments and 245 normal controls by using direct sequencing and haplotype analysis.A total of 30 sequence variations were identified in this study.Of the total,seven were exonic variants,18 were intronic variants,one was in the 5’-UTR,and four were in the 3'-UTR.Pathogenic variations that directly caused NOA were not identified.However,two variants,c.3669+35C>G(rs1727130)and+198A>T(rs1052482),showed significant differences in the frequency between the patient and control groups(P=0.021,odds ratio[OR]:1.79,95%confidence interval[Cl]:1.098-2.918)and were tightly linked in the linkage disequilibrium(LD)block.When pmir-rs1052482A was cotransfected with miR-3162-5p,there was a substantial decrease in luciferase activity,compared with pmir-rs1052482T.This result suggests that rsl052482 was located within a binding site of miR-3162-5p in the STAG33'-UTR,and the minor allele,the rs1052482T polymorphism,might offset inhibition by miR-3162-5p.We are the first to identify a total of 30 single-nucleotide variations(SNVs)of STAG3 gene in the Korean population.We found that two SNVs(rs1727130 and rsl052482)located in the 3'-UTR region may be associated with the NOA phenotype.Our findings contribute to understanding male infertility with spermatogenic impairment.展开更多
This study aims to determine key genes and pathways that could play important roles in the spermatogenic process of patients with cryptorchidism.The gene expression profile data of GSE25518 was obtained from the Gene ...This study aims to determine key genes and pathways that could play important roles in the spermatogenic process of patients with cryptorchidism.The gene expression profile data of GSE25518 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.Microarray data were analyzed using BRB-Array Tools to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between high azoospermia risk(HAZR)patients and controls.In addition,other analytical methods were deployed,including hierarchical clustering analysis,class comparison between patients with HAZR and the normal control group,gene ontology(GO),Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis,and the construction of a proteineprotein interaction(PPI)network.In total,1015 upregulated genes and 1650 downregulated genes were identified.GO and KEGG analysis revealed enrichment in terms of changes in the endoplasmic reticulum cellular component and the endoplasmic reticulum protein synthetic process in the HAZR group.Furthermore,the arachidonic acid pathway and mTOR pathway were also identified as important pathways,while RICTOR and GPX8 were indentified as key genes involved in the spermatogenic process of patients with cryptorchidism.In present study,we found that changes in the synthesis of endoplasmic reticulum proteins,arachidonic acid and the mTOR pathway are important in the incidence and spermatogenic process of cryptorchidism.GPX8 and RICTOR were also identified as key genes associated with cryptorchidism.Collectively,these data may provide novel clues with which to explore the precise etiology and mechanism underlying cryptorchidism and cryptorchidism-induced human infertility.展开更多
Chromosomal abnormalities and Y chromosome microdeletions are considered to be the two more common genetic causes of spermatogenic failure.However,the relati on ship between chromosomal aberrations and Y chromosome mi...Chromosomal abnormalities and Y chromosome microdeletions are considered to be the two more common genetic causes of spermatogenic failure.However,the relati on ship between chromosomal aberrations and Y chromosome microdeletio ns is still un clear.This study was to investigate the incidenee and characteristics of chromosomal aberrations and Y chromosome microdeletions in infertile men,and to explore whether there was a correlation between the two genetic defects of spermatogenic failure.A 7-year retrospective study was conducted on 5465 infertile men with nonobstructive azoospermia or oligozoospermia.Karyotype analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed by standard G-banding techniques.Y chromosome microdeletions were screened by multiplex PCR amplification with six specific sequence-tagged site(STS)markers.Among the 5465 infertile men analyzed,371(6.8%)had Y chromosome microdeletions and the prevalence of microdeletions in azoospermia was 10.5%(259/2474)and in severe oligozoospermia was 6.3%(107/1705).A total of 4003(73.2%)infertile men underwent karyotyping;370(9.2%)had chromosomal abnormalities and 222(5.5%)had chromosomal polymorphisms.Karyotype analysis was performed on 272(73.3%)patients with Y chromosome microdeletions and 77(28.3%)had chromosomal aberrations,all of which involved sex chromosomes but not autosomes.There was a sign ifica nt d iff ere nee in the frequency of chromosomal abno rmalities betwee n men with and without Y chromosome microdeletions(P<0.05).展开更多
Background:Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Cuscutae semen(SC,Tusizi from Cuscuta chinensis Lam.)and Lycii fructus(FL,Gouqi from Lycium barbarum L.),are also used as a herb pair(SC-FL)to treat various ailments,includi...Background:Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Cuscutae semen(SC,Tusizi from Cuscuta chinensis Lam.)and Lycii fructus(FL,Gouqi from Lycium barbarum L.),are also used as a herb pair(SC-FL)to treat various ailments,including spermatogenic dysfunction(SD),a disease responsible for low fertility in males.Objective:Herein,we will further determine the bioactive components,component targets and partial molecular mechanisms of the herb pair for the treatment of SD.Methods:We employed the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database in combination with Ultra high performance liquid chromatography(UHPLC)analysis to analyze the active ingredients of the SC-FL herbal pair and explore its possible targets and underlying mechanism in treatment of spermatogenic dysfunction(SD).Moreover,we used a Sprague-Dawley rat model,generated by using glucosides of Tripterygium wilfordii(GTW),to evaluate the effect of SC-FL and the underlying mechanism on SD and reliability of certain key targets and pathways obtained from the pharmacology analysis.Results:We identified 56 active ingredients in SC-LF affecting 41 overlapping gene signals that influenced SD treatment outcomes.262 Gene Ontology(GO)terms and 170 pathways were yielded under analyses of Gene Ontology,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathway from which we predicted that cell proliferation and apoptosis were the primary biological processes(BP)involved in the treatment of SD by SC-LF.The results showed that SC-FL treatment significantly improved the testicular organ coefficient along with sperm count and motility,while reduced testicular damage and testicular tissue cell apoptosis in SD model.Mechanistically,SC-FL significantly upregulated the expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins AR and BCL2 and downregulated those of pro-apoptotic proteins BAD,BAX,cleaved caspase 3,and CASP3.Conclusion:Collectively,these results indicated that SC-FL elicited a protective effect by potentially regulating apoptosis,thus suggesting that it will represent an effective reagent for male infertility.展开更多
Testicular two-dimensional ultrasound is a testing modality that is often used to evaluate azoospermia and other related diseases.With the continuous development of deep learning in recent years,the combination of dee...Testicular two-dimensional ultrasound is a testing modality that is often used to evaluate azoospermia and other related diseases.With the continuous development of deep learning in recent years,the combination of deep learning and testicular ultrasound appears unstoppable despite a lack of relevant standards.One of the major problems associated with the digitization of ultrasound images is the uneven quality of data however,and a standardized data source and acquisition process has not yet been developed.Such a standard could fill the current gap,and establish acquisition criteria for ultrasound images of testes during the male reproductive period,including grayscale ultrasound,shear wave elastography,and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.By following these guidelines the quality of testicular ultrasound images would be improved and standardized,which would lay a solid foundation for the standardization of testicular ultrasound images,and assist automated evaluation of testicular spermatogenic function of whole testis in azoospermic males.展开更多
Objective:To evaluate the effect of methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract prepared from the seeds of Blepharis(B.)persica on testosterone biosynthesis and also to elucidate the underlying m...Objective:To evaluate the effect of methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract prepared from the seeds of Blepharis(B.)persica on testosterone biosynthesis and also to elucidate the underlying mechanism.Methods:Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups(n=6 per group).GroupⅠreceived 0.3%w/w gum acacia suspension p.o.and served as the normal control group.GroupⅡwas administered testosterone propionate in arachis oil i.m.as the positive control group.GroupⅢtoⅣreceived B.persica methanolic extract p.o.at doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kg body weight.GroupⅥtoⅦreceived B.persica ethyl acetate fraction p.o.at doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kg body weight.The testis was used for biochemical estimation and histological studies.The effects of methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica on testicular testosterone,mRNA expression corresponding to steroidogenic acute regulatory protein(StAR)and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(3β-HSD)along with 3β-HSD enzyme assay were evaluated in testicular tissues and sperm concentration.Ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica was subjected to column chromatography.Invitro studies were performed using TM3 cell line at three dose levels(50,100,200μg/mL),each for methanolic extract,ethyl acetate fraction and 2-benzoxazolinone for evaluation of their comparative effect on testosterone production.Results:Ethyl acetate fraction and methanolic extract of B.persica could elevate the testicular testosterone content compared to the normal control group.The treatment with methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica increased the expression of mRNA corresponding to StAR by 6.7 fold and 10.6 fold,respectively,whereas the mRNA expression of 3β-HSD increased by 5.7 fold and 7.3 fold,respectively.Moreover,fraction and extract treatment exhibited increased 3β-HSD activity in the testicular tissues and were found to elevate sperm concentration in seminal fluid.The spermatogenic potential was further ensured by histological observations.2-benzoxazolinone was isolated from ethyl acetate fraction and identified using spectral studies.It showed the ability to increase the testosterone content in the TM3 Leydig cells.Conclusions:Methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica are able to increase the testicular testosterone in rats by elevating mRNA expression of StAR and 3β-HSD in testicular tissues,leading to increase the sperm concentration.展开更多
基金the grants of the Jilin Science&Technology Development Plan(Nos.20170101011JC,20200301037RQ and 20190103092JH)the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization(KF202004).
文摘Heat stress(HS)reaction can lead to serious physiological dysfunction associated with cardiovascular and various organ diseases.Ginsenoside Rg3(G-Rg3)is a representative component of ginseng rare saponin and can protect against multiple organs,also used as functional food to adjust the balance of the human body,but the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of G-Rg3 on male diseases under HS are underexplored.The aim of the present study,G-Rg3 was prepared through the efficient conversion of ginsenoside Rd and investigate the contribution of G-Rg3 to testicular injury induced exposure to HS.All mice were divided into four groups as follows:normal group,HS group,and HS+G-Rg3(5 and 10 mg/kg)groups.G-Rg3 was administered orally for 14 days,then exposed to a single scrotal heat treatment(43°C,18min)on the 7th day.After HS treatment,the morphology of testis and epididymis changes,and caused a significant loss of multinucleated giant cells,desquamation of germ cells in destructive seminiferous tubules,and degenerative Leydig cells,further destroying the production of sperm.After administration G-Rg3(5 and 10 mg/kg/day)for 2 weeks,the spermatogenic-related indexes of testosterone levels and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity,glutathione(GSH)content significantly(p<0.01)increase compared with the HS group.Moreover,G-Rg3 treatment effectively ameliorated the production of malondialdehyde(MDA)(p<0.05 or p<0.01).Importantly,G-Rg3 exhibited the protective potential against HS-induced injury not only suppressing the protein levels of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α),and heat shock protein 70(HSP70)but also modulating the Bcl-2 family(p<0.01 or p<0.001)and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathways(p<0.01).For most of the parameters tested,the HS+G-Rg3(10 mg/kg)group exhibited potent effects compared with those exhibited by the low dose(5 mg/kg)group.In conclusion,the present study demonstrated that G-Rg3 exerted protective effects against HS-induced testicular dysfunction via inhibiting the MAPK-mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis in mice.
基金This research was supported by a grant from the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute(KHIDI)funded by the Ministry of Health&Welfare,Republic of Korea(Grant No.H14C0106020014).
文摘The stromal antigen 3(STAG3)gene,encoding a meiosis-specific cohesin component,is a strong candidate for causing male infertility,but little is known about this gene so far.We identified STAG3 in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia(NOA)and normozoospermia in the Korean population.The coding regions and their intron boundaries of STAG3 were identified in 120 Korean men with spermatogenic impairments and 245 normal controls by using direct sequencing and haplotype analysis.A total of 30 sequence variations were identified in this study.Of the total,seven were exonic variants,18 were intronic variants,one was in the 5’-UTR,and four were in the 3'-UTR.Pathogenic variations that directly caused NOA were not identified.However,two variants,c.3669+35C>G(rs1727130)and+198A>T(rs1052482),showed significant differences in the frequency between the patient and control groups(P=0.021,odds ratio[OR]:1.79,95%confidence interval[Cl]:1.098-2.918)and were tightly linked in the linkage disequilibrium(LD)block.When pmir-rs1052482A was cotransfected with miR-3162-5p,there was a substantial decrease in luciferase activity,compared with pmir-rs1052482T.This result suggests that rsl052482 was located within a binding site of miR-3162-5p in the STAG33'-UTR,and the minor allele,the rs1052482T polymorphism,might offset inhibition by miR-3162-5p.We are the first to identify a total of 30 single-nucleotide variations(SNVs)of STAG3 gene in the Korean population.We found that two SNVs(rs1727130 and rsl052482)located in the 3'-UTR region may be associated with the NOA phenotype.Our findings contribute to understanding male infertility with spermatogenic impairment.
基金The present study was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81771566)Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program for Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars,Chongqing(Grant No.cx2017015)Research and Innovation Project of Chongqing Graduate Students(Grant No.CYS17165).
文摘This study aims to determine key genes and pathways that could play important roles in the spermatogenic process of patients with cryptorchidism.The gene expression profile data of GSE25518 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database.Microarray data were analyzed using BRB-Array Tools to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between high azoospermia risk(HAZR)patients and controls.In addition,other analytical methods were deployed,including hierarchical clustering analysis,class comparison between patients with HAZR and the normal control group,gene ontology(GO),Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis,and the construction of a proteineprotein interaction(PPI)network.In total,1015 upregulated genes and 1650 downregulated genes were identified.GO and KEGG analysis revealed enrichment in terms of changes in the endoplasmic reticulum cellular component and the endoplasmic reticulum protein synthetic process in the HAZR group.Furthermore,the arachidonic acid pathway and mTOR pathway were also identified as important pathways,while RICTOR and GPX8 were indentified as key genes involved in the spermatogenic process of patients with cryptorchidism.In present study,we found that changes in the synthesis of endoplasmic reticulum proteins,arachidonic acid and the mTOR pathway are important in the incidence and spermatogenic process of cryptorchidism.GPX8 and RICTOR were also identified as key genes associated with cryptorchidism.Collectively,these data may provide novel clues with which to explore the precise etiology and mechanism underlying cryptorchidism and cryptorchidism-induced human infertility.
基金We should like to thank our patients for agreeing to donate their personal data and allowing the data to be published.We are grateful to Dr.Jiong Gao(BGI Genomics,BGI-Shenzhen,Shenzhen,China)for improving the article.The study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2018YFC1004903,and 2016YFC1000703)Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province(Grant No.2019C03025)+1 种基金the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant No.81801441)and Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.LQ19H090019).
文摘Chromosomal abnormalities and Y chromosome microdeletions are considered to be the two more common genetic causes of spermatogenic failure.However,the relati on ship between chromosomal aberrations and Y chromosome microdeletio ns is still un clear.This study was to investigate the incidenee and characteristics of chromosomal aberrations and Y chromosome microdeletions in infertile men,and to explore whether there was a correlation between the two genetic defects of spermatogenic failure.A 7-year retrospective study was conducted on 5465 infertile men with nonobstructive azoospermia or oligozoospermia.Karyotype analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed by standard G-banding techniques.Y chromosome microdeletions were screened by multiplex PCR amplification with six specific sequence-tagged site(STS)markers.Among the 5465 infertile men analyzed,371(6.8%)had Y chromosome microdeletions and the prevalence of microdeletions in azoospermia was 10.5%(259/2474)and in severe oligozoospermia was 6.3%(107/1705).A total of 4003(73.2%)infertile men underwent karyotyping;370(9.2%)had chromosomal abnormalities and 222(5.5%)had chromosomal polymorphisms.Karyotype analysis was performed on 272(73.3%)patients with Y chromosome microdeletions and 77(28.3%)had chromosomal aberrations,all of which involved sex chromosomes but not autosomes.There was a sign ifica nt d iff ere nee in the frequency of chromosomal abno rmalities betwee n men with and without Y chromosome microdeletions(P<0.05).
文摘Background:Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Cuscutae semen(SC,Tusizi from Cuscuta chinensis Lam.)and Lycii fructus(FL,Gouqi from Lycium barbarum L.),are also used as a herb pair(SC-FL)to treat various ailments,including spermatogenic dysfunction(SD),a disease responsible for low fertility in males.Objective:Herein,we will further determine the bioactive components,component targets and partial molecular mechanisms of the herb pair for the treatment of SD.Methods:We employed the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database in combination with Ultra high performance liquid chromatography(UHPLC)analysis to analyze the active ingredients of the SC-FL herbal pair and explore its possible targets and underlying mechanism in treatment of spermatogenic dysfunction(SD).Moreover,we used a Sprague-Dawley rat model,generated by using glucosides of Tripterygium wilfordii(GTW),to evaluate the effect of SC-FL and the underlying mechanism on SD and reliability of certain key targets and pathways obtained from the pharmacology analysis.Results:We identified 56 active ingredients in SC-LF affecting 41 overlapping gene signals that influenced SD treatment outcomes.262 Gene Ontology(GO)terms and 170 pathways were yielded under analyses of Gene Ontology,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome pathway from which we predicted that cell proliferation and apoptosis were the primary biological processes(BP)involved in the treatment of SD by SC-LF.The results showed that SC-FL treatment significantly improved the testicular organ coefficient along with sperm count and motility,while reduced testicular damage and testicular tissue cell apoptosis in SD model.Mechanistically,SC-FL significantly upregulated the expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins AR and BCL2 and downregulated those of pro-apoptotic proteins BAD,BAX,cleaved caspase 3,and CASP3.Conclusion:Collectively,these results indicated that SC-FL elicited a protective effect by potentially regulating apoptosis,thus suggesting that it will represent an effective reagent for male infertility.
基金Funding for this project was received from Science and Tech-nology Planning Projects of Guangdong Province(Grant No.2018B010109008)National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2018YFC0116500)+1 种基金5010 Project of Clinical Research at Sun Yat-Sen University(Grant No.2019016)Guangdong Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.2020A151501523).
文摘Testicular two-dimensional ultrasound is a testing modality that is often used to evaluate azoospermia and other related diseases.With the continuous development of deep learning in recent years,the combination of deep learning and testicular ultrasound appears unstoppable despite a lack of relevant standards.One of the major problems associated with the digitization of ultrasound images is the uneven quality of data however,and a standardized data source and acquisition process has not yet been developed.Such a standard could fill the current gap,and establish acquisition criteria for ultrasound images of testes during the male reproductive period,including grayscale ultrasound,shear wave elastography,and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.By following these guidelines the quality of testicular ultrasound images would be improved and standardized,which would lay a solid foundation for the standardization of testicular ultrasound images,and assist automated evaluation of testicular spermatogenic function of whole testis in azoospermic males.
基金supported by Charotar University of Science and Technology through CHARUSAT Research Grant sanctioned to Dr.Manan Raval[CHARUSAT SEED RESEARCH GRANT/RPCP/MAR/12].
文摘Objective:To evaluate the effect of methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract prepared from the seeds of Blepharis(B.)persica on testosterone biosynthesis and also to elucidate the underlying mechanism.Methods:Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups(n=6 per group).GroupⅠreceived 0.3%w/w gum acacia suspension p.o.and served as the normal control group.GroupⅡwas administered testosterone propionate in arachis oil i.m.as the positive control group.GroupⅢtoⅣreceived B.persica methanolic extract p.o.at doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kg body weight.GroupⅥtoⅦreceived B.persica ethyl acetate fraction p.o.at doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kg body weight.The testis was used for biochemical estimation and histological studies.The effects of methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica on testicular testosterone,mRNA expression corresponding to steroidogenic acute regulatory protein(StAR)and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(3β-HSD)along with 3β-HSD enzyme assay were evaluated in testicular tissues and sperm concentration.Ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica was subjected to column chromatography.Invitro studies were performed using TM3 cell line at three dose levels(50,100,200μg/mL),each for methanolic extract,ethyl acetate fraction and 2-benzoxazolinone for evaluation of their comparative effect on testosterone production.Results:Ethyl acetate fraction and methanolic extract of B.persica could elevate the testicular testosterone content compared to the normal control group.The treatment with methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica increased the expression of mRNA corresponding to StAR by 6.7 fold and 10.6 fold,respectively,whereas the mRNA expression of 3β-HSD increased by 5.7 fold and 7.3 fold,respectively.Moreover,fraction and extract treatment exhibited increased 3β-HSD activity in the testicular tissues and were found to elevate sperm concentration in seminal fluid.The spermatogenic potential was further ensured by histological observations.2-benzoxazolinone was isolated from ethyl acetate fraction and identified using spectral studies.It showed the ability to increase the testosterone content in the TM3 Leydig cells.Conclusions:Methanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of B.persica are able to increase the testicular testosterone in rats by elevating mRNA expression of StAR and 3β-HSD in testicular tissues,leading to increase the sperm concentration.
