目的 研究淫羊藿对运动训练大鼠睾酮含量、物质代谢及抗运动疲劳能力的影响。方法 以大强度耐力训练大鼠为模型，50只42 d龄雄性Wistar大鼠为对象，随机分为3组：静止组、运动组、淫羊藿组，每组15只（剔除不符合实验要求的大鼠）。采用专业灌胃器每天灌胃1次，淫羊藿组剂量为5 g·kg^-1，灌胃体积为5 mL·kg^-1，静止组、运动组灌胃等量生理盐水。42 d力竭游泳训练后，测定体重、力竭游泳时间及血睾酮等生化指标。结果 淫羊藿组体重大于运动组（P<0.05），力竭游泳时间长于运动组（P<0.01）。力竭游泳导致大鼠血清睾酮下降，运动组与静止组比较，下降了28.85%(P<0.01)。淫羊藿组与运动组比较，上升了28.21%(P<0.01)；血清皮质酮水平各组间均无显著差异，血清睾酮与皮质酮比值变化与睾酮变化较为一致；肝糖原、肌糖原储量下降，运动组与静止组比较，肝糖原下降26.40%(P<0.01)，肌糖原下降54.83%(P<0.01)。淫羊藿组与运动组相比，肝糖原高出20.68%(P<0.05)，肌糖原高出82.76%(P<0.01)；促卵泡激素无明显影响；血尿素上升，血红蛋白下降，运动组与静止组比较，血尿素上升了66.32%(P<0.01)，血红蛋白下降35.89%(P<0.01)。淫羊藿组与运动组相比，血尿素低出27.85%(P<0.01)，血红蛋白高出41.23%(P<0.01)。结论 淫羊藿可以减轻血睾酮受高强度运动量的影响，并维持在正常生理水平；可以促进蛋白质合成，抑制氨基酸和蛋白质分解，提高运动训练大鼠血红蛋白含量和糖原的储备。

The present study investigated the effects and potential mechanism(s) of action of icariin on the reproductive functions of male rats. Adult rats were treated orally with icariin at doses of 0 (control), 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg body weight for 35 consecutive days. The results show that icariin had virtually no effect on the body weight or organ coefficients of the testes or epididymides. However, 100 mg/kg icariin significantly increased epididymal sperm counts. In addition, 50 and 100 mg/kg icariin significantly increased testosterone levels. Real-time PCR suggests icariin may be involved in testosterone production via mRNA expression regulation of genes such as peripheral type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). Furthermore, 100 mg/kg icariin treatment also affected follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and claudin-11 mRNA expression in Sertoli cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in the testes; 50 and 100 mg/kg icariin treatment improved antioxidative capacity, while 200 mg/kg icariin treatment upregulated oxidative stress. These results collectively suggest that icariin within a certain dose range is beneficial to male reproductive functions; meanwhile, higher doses of icariin may damage reproductive functions by increasing oxidative stress in the testes.

When prepubertal lambs are superovulated, the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation has great individual difference and the collected oocytes have lower developmental ability than that of adult ewes. Over the years, growth hormone (GH) has been used in assisted reproduction because it can improve the reproductive performance in humans and animals. However, the effect of GH on ovaries and oocytes of prepubertal lambs remains unclear.Before and during follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) superovulation of prepubertal lambs (4‒6-week-old), the lambs were treated with high (50 mg) or low dose (25 mg) of ovine GH in a long (5 days) or short (2 days) period. The recovered oocytes were used for in vitro maturation and fertilization, and several parameters of oocyte quality and development capacity were evaluated. The possible underlying mechanisms of GH action were explored by analysis of granulosa cell (GC) transcriptome, ovarian proteome and follicular fluid metabolome.Treatment of lambs with 50 mg GH over 5 days (long treatment) potentially promoted the response of lambs to superovulation and improved the development capacity of retrieved oocytes, consequently increasing the high quality embryo yield from lambs. A number of differently expressed genes or proteins were found in ovaries between GH-treated and untreated lambs. Cellular experiments revealed that GH reduced the oxidative stress of GCs and promoted the GC proliferation probably through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Finally, analysis of follicular fluid metabolome indicated that GH treatment altered the abundance of many metabolites in follicular fluid, such as antioxidants and fatty acids.GH treatment has a beneficial role on function of lamb ovaries, which supports the development of follicles and oocytes and improves the efficiency of embryo production from prepubertal lambs.© 2023. The Author(s).