Effect of Wuzi Yanzong Pills on Sertoli cells and blood-testis barrier in heat-stressed rats based on Akt signalling pathway.

The blood-testis barrier (BTB) of Sertoli cells (SCs) is an important biological barrier that maintains spermatogenesis and provides a favourable microenvironment for spermatogenesis. However, heat stress can directly damage the BTB structural proteins of testicular SCs, leading to dyszoospermia. Wuzi Yanzong Pills (WYP) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat male reproductive diseases. However, whether WYP could ameliorate heat stress injury in primary SCs extracted from rat testes and BTB proteins remains unknown. Here, treatment with WYP (low, medium and high dose) increased the SC viability and the proliferation of cell antigen Ki67 significantly. Additionally, it promoted SC maturation, which presented in the form of increased androgen receptors (ARs) and decreased cytokeratin 18 (CK-18) in three WYP dose groups. WYP upregulated BTB proteins such as zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) and occludin across all WYP groups and decreased phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) in the middle and high-dose groups; however, ZO-1 and occludin recovery were reduced with the presence of Akt inhibitor in WYP groups. WYP improved SC viability and proliferation, and ameliorated dedifferentiation and BTB-proteins damaged by heat stress via Akt signalling. The findings present theoretical support for the effects of WYP in the management of dyszoospermia and male infertility.