Objective: To explore the regulatory effect of Huatan Qushi Decoction (HTQSD) on lipid metabolism and semen quality in obese rats with oligoasthenozoospermia (OA) and its underlying mechanisms.
Methods: Ninety-six 8-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of equal number: blank control, OA model control, Wuzi Yanzong Pills (WZYZP), and high-, medium- and low-dose HTQSD, the blank controls fed with a normal diet and the others with a high-fat diet, all for 8 weeks. Meanwhile, the rats in the blank control and OA model control groups were treated intragastrically with normal saline, those in the WZYZP group with WZYZP at 1.07 g/kg, and those in the high-, medium- and low-dose HTQSD groups with HTQSD at 26.25, 13.125 and 6.5625 g/kg, respectively. The body weights of the animals were obtained at 1, 4 and 8 weeks of modeling and intervention, the levels of serum TG, TC, HDL-C and LDL-C, the liver and testis indexes and semen quality detected at 4 and 8 weeks, and the expression of HO-1 mRNA determined at 8 weeks.
Results: At 8 weeks of modeling and intervention, the rats in the model control group, compared with the blank controls, showed significant increases in the body weight (［523.1 ± 25.54］ vs ［451.50 ± 27.53］ g, P < 0.01) and levels of serum TG (［8.58 ± 0.39］ vs ［2.18 ± 0.28］ nmol/L, P < 0.001), TC (［4.41 ± 1.44］ vs ［1.68 ± 0.18］ nmol/L, P < 0.01) and LDL-C (［2.06 ± 0.17］ vs ［0.48 ± 0.57］ nmol/L,P<0.01), but decreases in the level of serum HDL-C (［27.92 ± 0.40］ vs ［57.47 ± 1.52］ nmol/L,P < 0.01), sperm motility (［11.31 ± 4.87］% vs ［39.66 ± 2.77］%, P < 0.01), sperm concentration (［31.07 ± 10.52］ vs ［65.37 ± 6.30］ ×10⁶/ml, P < 0.01) and the expression of HO-1 mRNA (0.16 ± 0.03 vs 1.06 ± 0.20, P < 0.01). The rats in the medium-dose HTQSD group, in comparison with the model controls, exhibited remarkable decreases in the body weight (［445.13 ± 34.19］ vs ［523.1 ± 25.54］ g, P < 0.01) and levels of serum TG (［2.05 ± 0.27］ vs ［8.58 ± 0.39］ nmol/L,P < 0.01), TC (［1.63 ± 0.21］ vs ［4.41 ± 1.44］ nmol/L,P < 0.01) and LDL-C (0.45 ± 0.07) vs ［2.06 ± 0.17］ nmol/L, P < 0.01), but increases in the level of serum HDL-C (［48.35 ± 3.63］ vs ［27.92 ± 0.40］ nmol/L, P < 0.01), sperm motility (［32.84 ± 6.22］% vs ［11.31 ± 4.877］%, P < 0.01) and sperm concentration (［46.90 ± 6.39］ vs ［31.07 ± 10.52］ ×10⁶/ml, P < 0.05), and the low-dose HTQSD group showed a significantly up-regulated expression of HO-1 mRNA (0.76 ± 0.13 vs 0.16±0.03, P < 0.01).
Conclusions: HTQSD can regulate the blood lipid level and improve semen quality in obese rats with oligoasthenozoospermia by promoting serum anti-oxidation and reducing oxidative stress.
Keywords: Huatan Qushi Decoction; obesity; oxidative stress; rat; oligoasthenozoospermia.