| Objective: This study was conducted to observe the effect of Kidney Tonic and Blood Activation Formula on the spermatogenic function of rats in a low-pressure hypoxia model and to investigate the specific mechanism.Methods: Thirty 10-week-old SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,and low,medium and high dose treatment groups of Kidney Tonic and Blood Activation Formula,with 6 rats in each group.The rats in the hypoxic groups were placed in an artificial low-pressure hypoxic chamber simulating a low-pressure hypoxic environment.The treatment groups were then gavaged with Kidney and Blood Formula suspension(6.4g/Kg,12.8g/Kg,25.6g/Kg)for 28 consecutive days.The organ indices,epididymal sperm density and viability of each group were examined after the last administration of the drug.The pathological changes of HE staining of testes and epididymis were observed;the levels of serum testosterone(T)and hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF-1α)were measured simultaneously by ELISA;the expression of mTOR in the testes of each hypoxic group was detected by western-blot.Result: Compared with the blank normoxia group,the body weight and organ index of the rats in the hypoxia model group and the kidney tonic formula group were significantly decreased.The sperm concentration and viability in the epididymis of the rats in the hypoxia model group were significantly reduced.The basal membrane of the germinal tubules in the testis was atrophied and thinned,with obvious stratification,disorganized arrangement of germinal cells and fewer mature sperm in the tubular lumen.The serum testosterone T of rats in the hypoxia model group was significantly lower than that in the blank normoxia group.The serum HIF-1α level was significantly increased in the hypoxia model group.The protein expression level of testicular mTOR was increased in the hypoxia model group.Compared with the hypoxic model group,the testicular index of the Kidney Revitalizing Blood Formula group was significantly improved,and the sperm concentration and viability increased significantly,and the degree of improvement increased with the dose;the testicular tissue morphological and structural damage in the rats after the intervention of Kidney Revitalizing Blood Formula was improved,the number of spermatogenic epithelial layers in the testicular tissue increased,the spermatogenic cells were arranged in an orderly manner,and a large number of mature spermatozoa were visible in the lumen,and the testicular tissue structural recovery was significantly accelerated in the Kidney Revitalizing Blood Formula high-dose group.The recovery of testicular tissue structure was significantly accelerated in the high-dose group.The number of immature spermatogenic cells shed in the lumen of the epididymis was significantly reduced.It was suggested that Kidney Tonic and Blood Activation Formula could improve the damage caused by low pressure and low oxygen,and improve the sperm quality of the model rats.The serumT level of the rats in the Kidney and Blood formula group showed an increasing trend.The levels of HIF-1α were significantly decreased in the middle and high dose groups of Kidney Tonic and Blood Invigorating Formula.The protein expression level of testicular mTOR showed a decreasing trend;suggesting that the testicular mTOR protein expression of rats in low-pressure hypoxic environment was inhibited by the Kidney Tonic and Blood Activation Formula group to improve spermatogenic damage.Conclusions: The simulated low-pressure and low-oxygen environment can cause testicular damage and reduce sperm density and viability in rats.The formula can improve sperm quality,reduce testicular histopathological damage,and improve testicular spermatogenesis disorder in rats caused by low-pressure hypoxia model.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of mTOR and HIF-1α high expression. |
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