| Background:Partial androgen deficiency of the aging male (PADAM) has been defined as symptoms related to testosterone deficiency. Key symptoms of PADAM include psychosomatic manifestations, vegetative nerve functional disturbance, mental disorder and hypogonadism by the International Society for the Study for the Aging Male (ISSAM). Testosterone supplementation therapy (TST) can effectively treat PADAM. However, TST can potentially cause prostate cancer, increase hemoglobin, and escalate the risk of cardiovascular events.Acupuncture and moxibustion has been practiced widely to treat age-related diseases for over 2000 years. In particular, modern research shows that acupuncture can interfere with the aging process through regulating gene expression, and moxibustion can reduce levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, correct immune disorders, and adjust metabolic imbalance in free radicals. Therefore, this study aims to observe the effects and mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in a rodent PAD AM model in order to provide experimental data for future pre-clinical and clinical research.Objectives:1. To contrast the influence the reproductive endocrine function in male rats with partial androgen deficiency after using electro-acupuncture (EA), mild-moxibustion (MM) and scarring moxibustion (SM);2. To explore the related mechanisms.Methods:1. Seventy male rats were randomly divided into control group (n=10) and model group (n=60). The rats in model group were injected with cyclophosphamide in abdominal cavities to establish PAD AM model. Fifty rats were randomly selected from model group and were randomized into PADAM+MM (MM-treated), PADAM+EA (EA-treated), PADAM+SM (SM-treated), PADAM+AD (androlin-treated) and PADAM (non-treated) (n=10 each). EA, MM and SM were administered at BL23 and CV4 acupoints. Total testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) were detected and exhaustion swimming tests and tail suspension experiments were observed before modeling, after modeling and at the end of experiments.2. After eight weeks. Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (17β-HSD3), cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage (P450scc), steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) protein expression as well as cytochrome P450 17α hydroxylase (P450c17) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1(3β-HSD1) mRNA expression, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) were evaluated of rats in control, PADAM, PADAM+EA and PADAM+MM groups.Results:1. After establishing PADAM model by cyclophosphamide, the TT and FT levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05) and significantly lower than the 95% confidence interval (CI), the animals developed behaviors similar to those of PADAM, indicating successful modeling.2. After treatment, the TT and FT levels of rats in PADAM+EA, PADAM+MM, PADAM+SM and PADAM+AD increased significantly compared with those pre-treatment and PADAM (P<0.05), and the curative effect of MM was better compared with SM (P<0.05).3. Both PADAM+EA and PADAM+MM group, the serum LH and FSH levels were significant decreased (P<.005), P450scc,17β-HSD3, and SF-1 protein expression were significantly increased (P<0.05), and P450c17 and 3(3-HSD1 mRNA expression were significantly increased (P<0.05), the SOD levels were increased and the MDA levels were decreased (P<0.05) relative to PADAM rats.Conclusions:1. Three kinds of acupuncture and moxibustion therapies could improve the depression state, myodynamia and energy in the aging rats as well as increase the TT and FT levels, with the similar effects of androlin, and MM displays a superior efficacy over EA and SM.2. Acupuncture and moxibustion could adjust gonadotropin (LH, FSH) levels, adjust testosterone synthetase (P450scc,3p-HSD1, P450c17, 17β-HSD3 and SF-1) protein and mRNA expression, and adjust free radicals (SOD and MDA) levels, which may be some of its mechanism underlying improvement of PADAM. |
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