• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.47-51
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the reproductive effect of Ginseng radix on male mice. Methods : Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups ; normal group (vehicle-treated, n=8), Ginseng radix treatment group (100, 500, 1000 mg/kg, n=8). Ginseng radix extract was treated for 5 weeks. After treatment each group was examined for assessment of sperm count and CatSper protein expression using computer assisted semen analysis (CASA) system and the immunofluorescence. Results : Sperm count of normal and Ginseng radix extract treated group were 287.57 vs. 371.62, 364.83, $343.29{\times}10^6$, respectively. The CatSper3, 4 proteins expression of Ginseng radix treated group were significantly increased than that of normal group. Conclusions : These findings suggest that the Ginseng radix improves male reproductive function by increasing sperm count and CatSper protein expression.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.115-116
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• 2003

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.381-392
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• 2019

Sperm function and male fertility are closely related to pH dependent $K^+$ current (KSper) in human sperm, which is most likely composed of Slo3 and its auxiliary subunit leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 52 (LRRC52). Onion peel extract (OPE) and its major active ingredient quercetin are widely used as fertility enhancers; however, the effect of OPE and quercetin on Slo3 has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of quercetin on human Slo3 channels. Human Slo3 and LRRC52 were co-transfected into HEK293 cells and pharmacological properties were studied with the whole cell patch clamp technique. We successfully expressed and measured pH sensitive and calcium insensitive Slo3 currents in HEK293 cells. We found that OPE and its key ingredient quercetin inhibit Slo3 currents. Inhibition by quercetin is dose dependent and this degree of inhibition decreases with elevating internal alkalization and internal free calcium concentrations. Functional moieties in the quercetin polyphenolic ring govern the degree of inhibition of Slo3 by quercetin, and the composition of such functional moieties are sensitive to the pH of the medium. These results suggest that quercetin inhibits Slo3 in a pH and calcium dependent manner. Therefore, we surmise that quercetin induced depolarization in spermatozoa may enhance the voltage gated proton channel (Hv1), and activate non-selective cation channels of sperm (CatSper) dependent calcium influx to trigger sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction.