To explore the roles of oxidative stress and apoptosis in the renal deficiency and blood stasis type oligoasthenozoospermia（OAS） model, and to investigate the mechanism of the intervention by the Qi-supplementing, Blood-activating and Essence-nourishing formula.

The rat model of renal deficiency and blood stasis type oligoasthenozoospermia was established by intragastric administration of Gentiana macrophylla polysaccharides (GTW). The rats were randomly divided into the model group, the levocarnitine group, the low, medium and high doses of the Qi-supplementing, Blood-activating and Essence-nourishing formula groups; another 8 rats were randomly selected as the normal control group. The levocarnitine group was intragastrically administered 1.8 mL·kg^-1 levocarnitine oral liquid; the low, medium and high doses of the Qi-supplementing, Blood-activating and Essence-nourishing formula groups were given 7.87, 15.75 and 31.50 g·kg^-1，respectively; the blank group and the model group were intragastrically administered the same amount of 0.9% NaCl. All 6 groups of rats were administered the drugs once daily and continuously for 28 days. The general conditions of the rats were observed; the testicular and epididymal indices were measured; the sperm quality was detected; the pathological morphology of the testicular tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE); the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the testicular tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the mRNA expression levels of Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax in the testicular tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR).

The testicular indices of the blank group, model group, low, medium and high doses of the Qi-supplementing, Blood-activating and Essence-nourishing formula group, and the levocarnitine group were (0.83±0.09)%, (0.55±0.10)%, (0.55±0.07)%,(0.71±0.12)%,(0.81±0.08)%, and (0.67±0.07)%, respectively; the epididymal indices were (0.36±0.05)%, (0.24±0.03)%, (0.25±0.04)%, (0.28±0.02)%,(0.35±0.06)%, and (0.28±0.03)%,respectively; the sperm concentrations were (24.11±11.64, 4.65±2.48, 6.75±3.81, 11.60±7.78, 21.72±7.81, 23.22±8.80)×10⁶ sperm·mL^-1, respectively; the sperm motility was (86.93±12.00)%, (33.46±16.13)%, (53.01±21.71)%, (63.15±24.35)%, (79.97±10.22)%, and (75.83±25.05)%, respectively; the ROS intensity was 597 926.11±87 518.20, 925 239.02±95 539.79, 846 676.84±64 867.76, 784 277.73±81 354.32, 658 228.04±82 768.68, and 725 740.12±87 846.36, respectively; the CAT activity was (1.40±0.11), (0.56±0.09), (0.77±0.11), (0.95±0.13), (1.15±0.12), and (1.03±0.11) U·mgprot^-1, respectively; the SOD activity was (2.41±0.07), (1.65±0.05), (1.79±0.33), (1.90±0.04), and (2.21±0.05), and (2.06±0.04) U·mgprot^-1, respectively. the relative expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA were 1.00±0.04, 0.26±0.02, 0.39±0.04, 0.49±0.02, 0.87±0.02, and 0.66±0.05, respectively; the relative expression levels of Bax mRNA were 1.00±0.05, 1.78±0.07, 1.50±0.04, 1.39±0.02, 1.12±0.04, and 1.27±0.04, respectively; the relative expression levels of Caspase-3 mRNA were 1.00±0.03, 1.95±0.06, 1.81±0.03, 1.68±0.03, 1.18±0.07, and 1.49±0.08, respectively. The above-mentioned indicators of the model group compared with the blank group, the high-dose group compared with the model group, and the L-carnitine group except for the epididymal index compared with the model group, all showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05，P<0.01).

Oxidative stress and cell apoptosis play multiple regulatory roles in the sperm quality and testicular damage of OAS rats. The Qi-supplementing, activating blood, and tonifying essence formula may improve the sperm quality and testicular function of rats by inhibiting oxidative stress and cell apoptosis.