title: [GTW-induced abnormal expressions of testicular reproduction-related genes and intervention with kidney-tonifying Chinese herbs].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the abnormal expressions of testicular reproduction-related genes induced by glycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) and the intervention with kidney-tonifying Chinese herbs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult Balb/C male mice were fed on GTW at 30 mg per kg per d for 3 weeks to establish a model of reproductive dysfunction. The model mice were divided into different groups to receive intragastrical administration of saline (0.25 ml/d), GTW (30 mg per kg per d), Cistanche (10 g per kg per d), Rehmannia (10 g per kg per d), and Rehmannia + Cistanche (20 g per kg per d), respectively, once a day for 3 weeks. And a Cistanches pretreatment group was treated with GTW (30 mg per kg per d) and Cistanche (10 g per kg per d) for the same length of time. Then we detected the changed expressions of testicular reproduction-related genes Dzip1, Fas, c-jun and Wnt4 in each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The model mice showed an obviously down-regulated expression of the Y chromosome microdeletion-related gene Dzip1, and up-regulated expressions of the germ cell apoptosis-related gene Fas, proto-oncogene c-jun, and signal transduction-related gene Wnt4. Intervention with Chinese herbs achieved different degrees of improvement of the mice's reproductivity, and the most obvious efficacy was observed with the combined use of kidney-yang tonifying Cistanche and kidney-yin nourishing Rehmannia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GTW exerts significant impact on reproduction-related genes. Both the kidney-yang tonifying drug Cistanche and kidney-yin nourishing drug Rehmannia can counteract some of the reproductive toxicity of GTW, while the combination of the two can further enhance the effect.
authors: Department of Nephrology/Shanghai Key Clinical Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Shanghai Higher Education Innovation Group, Shanghai Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200021, China. yinglianz@sohu.com
authors: Xin-Xian
authors: XX
authors: Zhang
authors: Di
authors: D
authors: Huang
authors: Nan-Nan
authors: NN
authors: Liu
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Ri-Yang
authors: RY
authors: Lin
authors: Xin-Zhi
authors: XZ
authors: Zhang
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Wu
authors: Li-Qun
authors: LQ
authors: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031671:Cistanche; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006027:Glycosides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029757:Tripterygium / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006027:Glycosides