title: Protective Effect of Decursin Extracted from Angelica gigas in Male Infertility via Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway.
abstract: Higher testicular temperature results in altered spermatogenesis due to heat-related oxidative stress. We examined the effects of decursin extracted from Angelica gigas Nakai on antioxidant activity in vitro and in a cryptorchidism-induced infertility rat model. TM3 Leydig cell viability was measured based on oxidative stress according to treatment. Either distilled water or AG 400 mg/kg of A. gigas extract was administered orally for 4 weeks after unilateral cryptorchidism was induced. After 1, 2, and 4 weeks, six rats from the control group and six rats from treatment group were sacrificed. Testicular weight, semen quality, antioxidant activities, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein, and mRNA expression of Nrf2-regulated genes were analyzed. Treatment with A. gigas extract (1) protected TM3 cells against oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner, (2) improved the mean weight of the cryptorchid testis, (3) maintained sperm counts, motility, and spermatogenic cell density, (4) decreased levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and increased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), (5) significantly increased Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and (6) significantly decreased apoptosis. This study suggests that decursin extracted from A. gigas is a supplemental agent that can reduce oxidative stress by Nrf2-mediated upregulation of HO-1 in rat experimentally induced unilateral cryptorchidism and may improve cryptorchidism-induced infertility.
authors.affiliation: Catholic Integrative Medicine Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woong Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: U Syn
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Bong
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kang Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyuk Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Hoo
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Youl
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Korea Bio Medical Science Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Yeoun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Catholic Integrative Medicine Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea; Department of Urology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Banpo-daero 222, Seocho-gu, Seoul 137-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sae Woong
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D029969:Angelica / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001578:Benzopyrans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002087:Butyrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001578:Benzopyrans; D002087:Butyrates; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495637:Nfe2l2 protein, rat; D010936:Plant Extracts; C101278:decursin; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); C491523:Hmox1 protein, rat