Protective Effect of Decursin Extracted from Angelica gigas in Male Infertility via Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016:2016:5901098. doi: 10.1155/2016/5901098. Epub 2016 Feb 16.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angelica / chemistry*
  • Animals
  • Benzopyrans / chemistry
  • Benzopyrans / pharmacology*
  • Butyrates / chemistry
  • Butyrates / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cryptorchidism / drug therapy
  • Cryptorchidism / metabolism
  • Cryptorchidism / pathology
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / metabolism*
  • Infertility, Male / drug therapy*
  • Infertility, Male / metabolism
  • Infertility, Male / pathology
  • Leydig Cells / metabolism*
  • Leydig Cells / pathology
  • Male
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / metabolism*
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Benzopyrans
  • Butyrates
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • Nfe2l2 protein, rat
  • Plant Extracts
  • decursin
  • Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)
  • Hmox1 protein, rat