English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Sertoli cells play crucial roles in spermatogenesis and are impaired by aging. Icariin, a flavonoid from  Epimedium , has been reported to exhibit anti-aging effects and improve testicular dysfunction in the clinical setting. However, whether icariin improves age-related degeneration of testicular function  via  protection from Sertoli cell injury remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of icariin on Sertoli cell injury and explored the possible mechanism(s)  in vivo  and  in vitro . Dietary administration of icariin for 4 months significantly ameliorated the age-related decline in testicular function by increasing testicular and epididymal weights and indices, sperm count and sperm viability, testicular testosterone and estradiol concentrations, and seminiferous tubule diameters and heights. In addition, icariin protected age-related Sertoli cells from injury as evidenced by an analysis of Sertoli cell number, ultrastructure, and function. Such changes were accompanied by upregulation of ER α  and Nrf2 signaling in Sertoli cells. Parallel  in vitro  studies also demonstrated that icariin inhibited untoward effects on the TM4 mouse Sertoli cell line with concomitant upregulation of ER α  and Nrf2 signaling. Conversely, ER α  siRNA reversed icariin-mediated protection of Sertoli cell injury. Our data suggest that icariin effectively ameliorates age-related degeneration of testicular function by alleviating Sertoli cell injury  via  the ER α /Nrf2 signal-transduction pathway. Thus, mitigating Sertoli cell damage  via  the ER α /Nrf2 signaling pathway likely represents a promising strategy for the prevention of age-related testicular dysfunction.

Icariin Improves Age-Related Testicular Dysfunction by Alleviating Sertoli Cell Injury via Upregulation of the ERα/Nrf2-Signaling Pathway