title: Effects of treatment with Astragalus Membranaceus on function of rat leydig cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a Chinese traditional herb which has been reported to have broad positive effects on many diseases, including hepatitis, heart disease, diabetes and skin disease. AM can promote cell proliferation, increase the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and inhibit apoptosis by regulating the transcription of proto-oncogenes controlling cell death. While AM is included in some commercially available "testosterone boosting supplements", studies directly testing ability of AM to modulate testosterone production are lacking. In the present study, we examined the effects of AM on Leydig cell function in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rat Leydig cells were purified and treated with AM at different concentrations (0 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, 20 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL, 100 μg/mL and 150 μg/mL) and cell counting-8 (CCK-8) assay, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative real time PCR and analysis of activities of SOD and GPx were done respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with 100 μg/mL (P<0.05) and 150 μg/mL AM (P<0.01) significantly increased Leydig cell numbers. Treatment with AM (20 μg/mL, 50 μg/mL and 100 μg/mL) significantly increased testosterone production (P<0.01). In addition, increased Leydig cell SOD and GPx activities were observed in response to 20 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL AM treatment (P<0.01). Furthermore, expression of Bax mRNA was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax mRNA was significantly increased in response to 20 μg/mL AM in the culture medium (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results supported a beneficial effect of AM on multiple aspects of rat Leydig cell function in vitro including testosterone production.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. 1172754383@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. gloomyrainbow@sina.com.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. 617672410@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. cjwcsc@126.com.
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. 1248725303@qq.com.
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. 1203418618@qq.com.
authors.forename: Miaomiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. 570319115@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. mjz122021@126.com.
authors.forename: Jinzhu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, 030801, China. 454517582@qq.com.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Analysis Laboratory of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200000, China. 271108305@qq.com.
authors.forename: Zhiyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. Jianbo.Yao@mail.wvu.edu.|Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA. Jianbo.Yao@mail.wvu.edu.
authors.forename: Jianbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. Smithge7@msu.edu.|Laboratory of Mammalian Reproductive Biology and Genomics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. Smithge7@msu.edu.|Departments of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. Smithge7@msu.edu.|Departments of Animal Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. Smithge7@msu.edu.
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Technology, Shanxi Agricultural University, No.1 Mingxian Nan Road, Taigu, 030801, China. lihualvsxau@126.com.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lv
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D027885:Astragalus propinquus; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C494828:Bax protein, rat; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D013739:Testosterone; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase