Research Progress On The Effect Of Cistanche Deserticola On Reproductive System

Ｒesearch progress of the effect of Herba Cistanche on the reproductive system 

LIU Zhong-ping，LI Zhi-xin，TIAN Hong-yan，PAN Xiao-yan，WANG Hong-jun，LIN Dong-jing 

Jilin Medical University 

Abstract: This paper summarizes the research development of the effect of "Desert Living Cistanche" Cistanche deserticola on the reproductive system．The study has proved that Cistanche deserticola can promote sex hormone secretion or have a gonadotropic effect， and it has good protection for spermatogenic function and semen quality． It also can improve renal function， and the promotion of embryo development．Cistanche deserticola can promote reproduction effectively． 

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Keywords: Herba Cistanche; reproduction; pharmacological action; review

Cistanche deserticola is a scaly, dry, fleshy stem of the genus Cistanche, which has a long medicinal history. Cistanche deserticola is mainly produced in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and other places in China. It is a unique and endangered medicinal material in the arid areas of northwest China, known as "desert ginseng". To clarify the chemical basis of Cistanche deserticola, domestic and foreign scholars have conducted in-depth and systematic analysis and research on the effective components of Cistanche deserticola. At present, a variety of effective chemical components have been isolated and identified, mainly including phenylethanoid glycosides, iridoids, and lignans, in addition to more than ten amino acids, sugars, vitamins, and a variety of trace elements.

Cistanche deserticola, mildly warm, sweet, and salty in taste, enters the kidney meridian and large intestine meridian, and has the effects of warming and tonifying kidney yang, tonifying blood essence, moistening dryness, and relieving constipation. It is used to treat deficiency of kidney yang, deficiency of blood essence, cold pain of the waist and knee, ejaculation, premature ejaculation, uterine cold band, infertility, constipation, etc. 

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According to the Theory of Medicinal Properties, Cistanche deserticola benefits the marrow, brightens the color, prolongs life, cures women's blood avalanche, boosts vitality, and greatly benefits the body. According to the Classic of Materia Medica, Cistanche deserticola, which is mildly warm in nature, is the essential medicine for nourishing the kidney and replenishing the blood essence. It can cure the dryness of the elderly and close the knot. It has the effect of benefiting the liver and kidneys and replenishing the blood essence after taking it for a long time [1]. Cistanche deserticola is one of the most frequently used drugs in the prescription of tonifying the kidney, strengthening the yang, and strengthening the strength. A large number of medical practices and studies have proved that Cistanche deserticola has a remarkable curative effect and is a treasure of nourishing Chinese medicine. In recent years, the research, development, and utilization of Cistanche deserticola has attracted extensive attention from researchers of traditional Chinese medicine and has become one of the research hotspots in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. In this paper, the effects of Cistanche deserticola and its active components on the reproductive system in recent years are reviewed for reference.

1. Effect on sex hormone

A large number of studies have shown that Cistanche deserticola can promote the secretion of sex hormones or display the effect of sex hormones. The transgenic yeast method was used to detect Cistanche deserticola, and it was found that Cistanche deserticola has high estrogen activity [2]. Zhao Piwen et al. [3] explored the estrogen-like effect of Cistanche deserticola by studying the effect of Cistanche deserticola on mouse uterus development. The results showed that Cistanche deserticola could increase the content of serum estradiol (E2) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and decrease the content of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mice. Cistanche deserticola can significantly increase the level of serum estrogen in mice. The mechanism of its action may be that some active chemical components of Cistanche deserticola can increase the secretion of LH. The specific pathway of its action is still unclear. In addition, the secretion of FSH did not increase. It is speculated that with the prolongation of the experimental time, the increased serum estrogen level of mice may feedback inhibit the secretion of LH, resulting in the final decline of LH secretion level.

Wang Linlin et al. [4] used the luciferase reporter plasmid method and the estrogen receptor competitive binding experiment to evaluate the estrogen-like effect of the main active components of Cistanche deserticola , including Echinacoside and Acteoside. The results showed that both Echinacoside and Acteoside could effectively bind estrogen receptor ER α、 EＲ β， Up-regulate the luciferase activity of estrogen response element (ERE), play the role of estrogen, and display SERMs activity; Echinacoside and Acteoside can also competitively bind to estrogen receptor with estradiol, thus antagonizing the up-regulation effect of estradiol on ERE luciferase activity. It can be seen that Echinacoside and Acteoside are related to estrogen receptor ER α、 Er β Combine to play the role of estrogen [4].

Superman herbs cistanche—Improve sexual function

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2. Effect on spermatogenic function

Studies have proved that Cistanche deserticola ma has a good protective effect on spermatogenic function and semen quality. Cistanche deserticola decoction can significantly increase sperm density, and sperm viability, speed up sperm movement, and reduce sperm deformity rate in mice; Improve the morphology of mouse testis, make the shape of seminiferous tubules regular, the arrangement of spermatogenic cells at all levels is tight and orderly, the number of testicular interstitial cells is significantly increased, the blood vessels are rich, the spermatogenic function of the testis is enhanced, the microenvironment of the epididymis is significantly improved, and the fructose content is increased; Both succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and non-specific lipase (NSE) in testis and epididymis showed strong positive reaction [5].

Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycolide can significantly increase the sperm deformity rate of mice, reduce the pregnancy rate of paired female mice, reduce the testicular organ index, reduce the levels of 17-hydroxy cortisol (17-OHCS) and testosterone (T) in urine, increase the level of HCG in urine, lower the expression level of the gene Dzip1 related to the microdeletion of mouse Y chromosome, increase the expression level of the gene Fas and proto-oncogene c-jun related to germ cell apoptosis, and increase the expression level of the gene Wnt4 related to signal transduction; After the intervention of Cistanche deserticola, the expression of various indicators and related genes have improved to varying degrees, indicating that Cistanche deserticola can effectively antagonize the reproductive system damage of male mice caused by Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycolide, and has a preventive effect on the reproductive toxicity of Tripterygium wilfordii [6-8].

The important active component of Cistanche deserticola, phenylethanoid of Cistanche deserticola, can significantly increase sperm density, sperm survival rate, sperm deformity rate, and testosterone in testicular tissue homogenate of mice with cyclophosphamide-induced spermatogenesis disorder.As the level rises, the number of layers of testicular spermatogenic epithelial cells increases, the layers are clear, and the spermatogenic cells at all levels are closely and neatly arranged. The experiment proved that phenylethanoid of Cistanche deserticola can antagonize the spermatogenic disorder of mice caused by cyclophosphamide, and its mechanism may be related to Cistanche deserticola increasing the level of testosterone [9].

Cistanche male benefits—Improve sexual function

Oxidative damage can affect sperm function by destroying sperm cell membrane structure and damaging sperm DNA. A large number of experimental studies have proved that Cistanche  extract powder and its active components have strong antioxidant damage .It has a certain scavenging effect on superoxide anion radicals and hydroxyl radicals [10-13]. Li Gang et al. [14] used the method of FeSO4/H2O2 to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to make rat sperm oxidative damage model and studied the antagonistic effect of Cistanche deserticola extract on sperm membrane structure and function oxidative damage. The results showed that ROS could significantly damage the structure and function of rat sperm membranes, reduce the activity of T-SOD in sperm suspension, increase the content of MDA, and reduce sperm swelling rate and sperm survival rate. Cistanche deserticola extract can improve the T-SOD activity of sperm suspension, reduce the content of MDA, have different degrees of antagonistic effect on the oxidative stress damage of rat sperm membrane caused by ROS, effectively reduce the lipid peroxidation of sperm membrane, play an effective antioxidant role, and have a certain protective effect on the structure and function of sperm membrane [14].

Liang Hualun et al. [15] established a sperm oxidative damage model in vitro, and protected it with phenylethanol glycosides of Cistanche deserticola. The changes of DNA in the nucleus of sperm damaged by oxidative damage were detected by Raman spectroscopy, and the antagonistic effect of phenylethanol glycosides of Cistanche deserticola on sperm oxidative damage was studied. The results showed that the Raman spectral intensity and spectral peak shift of sperm nuclei in the model of oxidative damage sperm changed significantly, and the changes were significantly inhibited after the protection of phenylethanol glycosides of Cistanche deserticola. The experiment proved that phenylethanol glycosides of Cistanche deserticola can antagonize the oxidative damage of strong oxidants on human sperm DNA to a certain extent.

Total glycosides of Cistanche deserticola are sensitive to 60 Co γ The ultrastructural damage of mouse testis tissue after irradiation has a certain protective effect. The protective mechanism may be that total glycosides of Cistanche deserticola enhance SOD activity, reduce the damage of lipid peroxidation to mouse testis tissue, or promote the recovery of testicular ultrastructure and function by promoting the synthesis of DNA, RNA and protein [16].

3. Effect on "Kidney Yang Deficiency" Model

The effect of cistanche deserticola on the kidney is also very clear. Ma Jingjing et al. used hydrocortisone to establish a model of kidney yang deficiency in mice and studied the effect of Cistanche deserticola on kidney and yang. The results showed that cimetidine could shorten the latent period of penis erection, increase the number of sperm, significantly increase the coefficient of sexual organs and organs, and significantly improve the histological structure of the testis. It shows that the effective component of Cistanche tubulosa has the obvious effect of tonifying the kidney and strengthening the yang [17]. The alcohol extract of Cistanche deserticola can reduce the atrophy of the adrenal cortex and the swelling of renal tubular epithelial cells caused by hormones, and has a protective effect on renal function [18]. A large number of studies have shown that Cistanche deserticola has the effect of estrogen, and Cistanche deserticola extract can play the role of tonifying the kidney and supporting the yang by reducing the content of estradiol and increasing the level of gonadotropin and testosterone [19]. Its mechanism needs further experimental research.

Superman herbs cistanche—Improve sexual function

4. Effect on embryonic development.

The proper addition of Chinese medicine in the early embryo culture in vitro can promote embryo development in vitro. The total glycosides and polysaccharides of Cistanche deserticola have strong antioxidant effects, which can effectively resist the oxygen free radicals produced during embryonic development and promote

Into the development of early embryos. Li Yufang et al. studied the effect of Cistanche deserticola on the development of early embryos by using the embryos of porcine in vitro fertilization. The experiment showed that the addition of Cistanche deserticola to the culture liquid could significantly improve the blastocyst rate [20-21]. Xie An et al. selected early mouse embryos to study the effect of Cistanche deserticola on the development of early mouse embryos in vitro. The results showed that the rate of morula and blastocyst in the group with Cistanche deserticola was significantly higher than that in the blank group, indicating that Cistanche deserticola could effectively promote the development of early embryos in vitro. Its mechanism might be related to the reduction of NO concentration and elimination of free radicals produced during the growth and division of embryos by Cistanche deserticola. Cistanche deserticola could effectively regulate the microenvironment of embryo development, Thus, the in vitro development rate of embryos can be significantly improved [22], but the specific mechanism needs further study.

5. Summary

Cistanche deserticola, as a traditional and precious Chinese medicine, is one of the first dragon herbs cistanche and benefiting essence. The active ingredients and pharmacological effects of Cistanche deserticola have become the focus of research by Chinese medicine practitioners, especially the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of its reproductive promotion have achieved certain results. The mechanism of Cistanche deserticola's impact on the reproductive system may involve multiple links, and the detailed mechanism still needs further systematic research. With the continuous deepening of the research on the effective components and pharmacological effects of Cistanche deserticola, it is expected to provide effective treatment for reproductive dysfunction shortly.

Cistanche male benefits—Improve sexual function

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