Effect of Tongjingling Decoction on Spermatogenic Cell Apoptosis in the Rat with Experimental Varicocele

Objective To investigate the apoptosis of spermatogenic cell and the protective effect of Tongjingling decoction on spermatogenic function in testis of rats with varicocele by observing the apoptosis index in spermatogenic cells in the testis.Methods Referring to saypol’s method,experimental left varicocele was induced by partial ligation of the left renal vein in 50 Wistar rats, which were randomly divided into 5 groups as follows:sham operation group, model group, Tongjingling low dose group, Tongjingling middle dose group, Tongjingling high dose group,with 10 cases in each group.Models were made sucessfully, affer one month.Tongjingling groups were given Tongjingling water decoction with different concentration once a day for 60 days.sham operation group and model group were given the same dosage of normal saline one a day. Two months later the rats were killed and the testis were selected,The apoptosis cells were detected by in situterminal deoxynucleotityl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL)technique.Results Apoptosis index in spermatogenic cells of mode group were distinctly higher than that in the sham operation group and Tongjingling groups(P0.01), and the contrast between Tongjingling groups and model group was manifest(P0.05).Conclusion The apoptosis of spermatogenic cell increasesd in the rat with experimental varicocele.This may be one of the mechanism which varicocele affect spermatogenic function Tongjingling have negative effect on the apoptosis of spermatogenic cell, and has protective effect on spermatogenic function of testis .