[Reproduction-related proteins differentially expressed in the testes of the mice with kidney-yang or kidney-yin deficiency].

Objective: To compare the differentially expressed proteins in mice with kidney-yang deficiency and those with kidney-yin deficiency induced by hydrocortisone, and explore the similar and different material bases of male infertility caused by the two types of kidney deficiency.

Methods: Thirty Kunming mice were equally randomized into a normal control, a kidney-yang deficiency and a kidney-yin deficiency group. The animals of the normal control group were injected intraperitoneally with normal saline at 0.

Icariin protects vascular endothelial cells from oxidative stress through inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanism(s) of icariin (ICA) in preventing hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced vascular endothelial cell injury via endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).

Methods: To study the effects of ICA on HO-induced damage, we used the cell counting kit-8 assay to detect cell viability and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay to determine cell adhesion and apoptosis, respectively. Spectrophotometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to measure the expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px).

[Expression of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor in the testis of the male mouse with kidney yin or kidney yang deficiency and its impact on the reproductive function of the mouse].

Objective: To investigate the expression of the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in the testis of the male mouse with kidney yin or kidney yang deficiency and its influence on the reproductive function of the mouse.

Methods: We randomized 30 six-week-old male Kunming mice into three groups of equal number: kidney yang deficiency, kidney yin deficiency, and normal control, and established the models of kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency by peritoneal injection of hydrocortisone at 50 mg/kg for 5 days and 25 mg/kg for 10 days, respectively. We observed the behavioral changes of the mice using the elevated plus-maze, exhaustive swimming and field experiment, examined the semen quality with the automatic sperm quality analyzer, calculated the average number of the offspring, measured the serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels and T/E2 ratio by Roche electrochemiluminescence assay, and determined the localization and expression of GPER in the testis by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining.