[Substitution of cordyceps cephalosporium mycelia for cordyceps sinensis in the prescription of Shengjing Capsules: Enhanced effect on spermatogenesis impairment].

Objective: To screen out an effective substitute in the prescription of Shengjing Capsules (SJC), observe the effects of the redeveloped New SJC (NSJC) with cordyceps cephalosporium mycelia (CCM) substituted for the ingredient cordyceps sinensis in the treatment of spermatogenesis impairment (SI), and provide some experimental evidence for its application in the treatment of male infertility and sexual dysfunction.

Methods: We equally randomized 192 male mice into 16 groups: normal saline control, SI model, high-, medium- and low-dose fermented cordycepin powder (FCP, 1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), high-, medium- and low-dose CCM (1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), high-, medium- and low-dose cordyceps mortierella mycelia (CMM, 1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), high-, medium- and low-dose fermented cordyceps sinensis (FCS, 1.60, 0.80 and 0.40 g/kg), SJC (0.80 g/kg), and vitamin E (VE, 0.25 g/kg), with the SI model established in all the mice and the normal controls injected intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide at 60 mg/kg qd for 5 consecutive days. After intragastrical medication with respective drugs, we obtained the body mass index (BMI), sexual organ coefficient, sperm count, sperm motility, and percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm (MAS) of the mice. We also randomly divided 70 male rats into 7 groups of equal number: normal control, SI model, high-, medium- and low-dose NSJC (1.12, 0.56 and 0.28 g/kg), SJC (0.56 g/kg), and VE (0.18 g/kg), the SI model constructed in the latter 6 groups of rats by gavage of adenine at 200 mg/kg qd for 5 consecutive days. After intragastrical medication with respective drugs, we examined the BMI, coefficients of sexual and renal organs, levels of reproductive hormones, testicular morphology, and fertility of the animals.

Results: After medication, the mice in different groups showed different degrees of improvement in the cyclophosphamide-induced slow growth, significant increases in the testicular and epididymal coefficients, sperm count, motility and viability (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and a remarkable reduction in the percentage of MAS (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The effect was particularly significant in the CCM group and therefore CCM was chosen as the best substitute ingredient in the redeveloped NSJC. Compared with the rats in other groups, those treated with NSJC exhibited significant increases in the BMI, coefficients of sexual and renal organs and levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), improvement of the pathologically damaged testicular morphology, elevation of the pregnancy rate and litter size, and recovery from adenine-induced SI.

Conclusions: The redeveloped New Shengjing Capsules with cordyceps cephalosporium mycelia substituted for the ingredient cordyceps sinensis can improve fertility and reverse spermatogenesis impairment in male rats. The new prescription may also be applied to the clinical treatment of male infertility and sexual dysfunction.