PMID- 37407171 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20230707 LR - 20230718 IS - 1875-5364 (Electronic) IS - 1875-5364 (Linking) VI - 21 IP - 6 DP - 2023 Jun TI - Guijiajiao (Colla Carapacis et Plastri, CCP) prevents male infertility via gut microbiota modulation. PG - 403-410 LID - S1875-5364(23)60471-6 [pii] LID - 10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60471-6 [doi] AB - Male infertility is a significant cause of psychosocial and marital distress in approximately 50% of couples who are unable to conceive, with male factors being the underlying cause. Guijiajiao (Colla Carapacis et Plastri, CCP) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine commonly used to treat male infertility. The present study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the preventive effects of CCP on male infertility. An infertile male rat model was established using cyclophosphamide (CTX), and CCP was administered for both treatment and prevention. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was also performed to explore the role of gut microbiota in the CCP-mediated prevention of male infertility in rats. Sperm motility and concentration were determined using a semi-automatic sperm classification analyzer. Subsequently, histopathological analysis using HE staining was performed to examine the changes in the small intestine and testis. Moreover, the serum levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and testosterone were measured by ELISA. In addition, immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect CD3 expression in the small intestine, while RT-qPCR was employed to assess the expressions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL-10) in the small intestine and epididymis. Finally, gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. CCP improved sperm motility, number, and concentration in CTX-induced infertile male rats. CCP increased the serum testosterone level, inhibited the immune cell infiltration of the intestinal lamina propria, and promoted the aggregation of CD3(+) T cells in CTX-induced male infertility rats. CCP also inhibited the expressions of MCP-1, CXCL-10, and IL-1beta in the epididymis of male infertility rats. At the genus level, CTX led to a reduction in the abundance of Lactobacillus, Clostridia_UCG.014, and Romboutsia in the intestinal tract of rats. In contrast, CCP decreased the abundance of Ruminococcus and increased the abundance of Romboutsia in infertile male rats. Additionally, FMT experiments proved that the gut microbiota of CCP-treated rats facilitated testicular tissue recovery and spermatogenesis while also reducing the serum LPS level in infertile male rats. CCP improves the spermatogenic ability of infertile male rats by restoring gut microbiota diversity and inhibiting epididymal inflammation. CI - Copyright (c) 2023 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. FAU - Sheng, Wen AU - Sheng W AD - College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China; Andrology Laboratory, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China. Electronic address: Shengwendoctor@stu.hnucm.edu.cn. FAU - Xu, Wenjing AU - Xu W AD - Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China. Electronic address: 254046114@qq.com. FAU - Ding, Jin AU - Ding J AD - Andrology Laboratory, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China; Department of Andrology, Affiliated Bao'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Seventh Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518000; College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000. FAU - Lu, Baowei AU - Lu B AD - Andrology Laboratory, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China; College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000. FAU - Liu, Lumei AU - Liu L AD - Andrology Laboratory, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China; College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000. FAU - He, Qinghu AU - He Q AD - Andrology Laboratory, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000, China; College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Medicine, Changsha 410000. Electronic address: qinghu_he3418@hnucm.edu.cn. FAU - Zhou, Qing AU - Zhou Q AD - Department of Andrology, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410000. Electronic address: supergoon@163.com. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PL - China TA - Chin J Nat Med JT - Chinese journal of natural medicines JID - 101504416 RN - 0 (Lipopolysaccharides) RN - 0 (RNA, Ribosomal, 16S) RN - 3XMK78S47O (Testosterone) SB - IM MH - Humans MH - Rats MH - Male MH - Animals MH - *Gastrointestinal Microbiome MH - Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology MH - RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MH - Semen MH - Sperm Motility MH - *Infertility, Male/chemically induced/prevention & control MH - Testosterone OTO - NOTNLM OT - Colla Carapacis et Plastri OT - Fecal microbiota transplantation OT - Gut microbiota OT - Male infertility OT - Spermatogenesis ability EDAT- 2023/07/06 01:08 MHDA- 2023/07/07 06:42 CRDT- 2023/07/05 20:56 PHST- 2022/11/23 00:00 [received] PHST- 2023/07/07 06:42 [medline] PHST- 2023/07/06 01:08 [pubmed] PHST- 2023/07/05 20:56 [entrez] AID - S1875-5364(23)60471-6 [pii] AID - 10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60471-6 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Chin J Nat Med. 2023 Jun;21(6):403-410. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(23)60471-6.