{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T20:36:47Z","timestamp":1792787807365,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["No.82174385"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No.82174385"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation Program","award":["No.7244488"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["No.7244488"]}]},{"name":"\u201cUnveiling the List and Appointing the Commander\u201d Project by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine","award":["2025-JYB-JBGS-013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025-JYB-JBGS-013"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05damtm70","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Am J Mens Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    SC-FL is a traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been used for kidney tonification and the clinical treatment of oligospermia and asthenospermia. This medicinal compound comprises dodder seed (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Cuscuta chinensis Lam<\/jats:italic>\n                    .) and wolfberry fruit (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Lycium barbarum L<\/jats:italic>\n                    .). However, the precise mechanisms of SC-FL remain undetermined. Therefore, this study aimed to identify potential therapeutic targets of SC-FL in oligoasthenozoospermia and validate these targets\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                    . To establish a spermatogenic dysfunction model, male BALB\/c mice were administered glucosides of\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Tripterygium wilfordii<\/jats:italic>\n                    Hook. f. (GTW) and then treated with SC-FL. Furthermore, the expression of microRNA-21 (miR-21), key PI3K\/AKT\/mTOR signaling pathway-related proteins and mRNAs, as well as molecular markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis, was evaluated. The results indicated that the mouse body weight did not significantly differ across SC-FL-treated groups compared to the GTW group (non-treated model group); however, the high-dose SC-FL mice showed significantly higher testicular weight (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p &lt; 0.05<\/jats:italic>\n                    ). Both medium- and high-dose SC-FL mice showed significantly increased sperm concentration and motility relative to the GTW group (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p &lt; 0.01<\/jats:italic>\n                    ). Histological analysis by hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that SC-FL treatment alleviated GTW-induced testicular tissue damage and preserved testicular structure. SC-FL treatment reduced serum IL-6 and TNF-\u03b1 levels and decreased PTEN mRNA and protein expression. It also increased miR-21, PI3K, AKT, and mTOR mRNA expression and increased the phosphorylated protein levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR, whereas total PI3K, AKT, and mTOR protein abundance remained relatively unchanged. In conclusion, SC-FL increased sperm concentration and motility and reduced serum inflammatory cytokine levels in mice. These beneficial effects were accompanied by increased miR-21 expression, decreased PTEN expression, and increased phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR. These findings indicate an association between the protective effects of SC-FL and alterations in the miR-21\/PTEN\/PI3K\/AKT\/mTOR signaling axis, but do not establish causal mediation by this pathway.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/15579883261492747","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T23:17:35Z","timestamp":1790637455000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Combination of\n                    <i>Cuscuta chinensis<\/i>\n                    and\n                    <i>Lycium barbarum<\/i>\n                    Ameliorates Spermatogenic Impairment in Mice and Is Associated With Modulation of the miR-21\/PTEN\/PI3K\/AKT\/mTOR Signaling Axis"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-9274-5346","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Haoran","family":"Chang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"},{"name":"Department of Andrology, The First Clinical Medical College of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine"},{"name":"China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6836-9793","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Junlong","family":"Feng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Changping Hospital of Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-1763-6052","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lixing","family":"Lei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"},{"name":"Department of Andrology, The First Clinical Medical College of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-5971-6478","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiangfa","family":"Lin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"},{"name":"Department of Andrology, The First Clinical Medical College of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-2112-8527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maoke","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"},{"name":"Department of Andrology, The First Clinical Medical College of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-9108-7385","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zixiang","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"},{"name":"Department of Andrology, The First Clinical Medical College of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3332-076X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jisheng","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Haisong","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing University of Chinese Medicine"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_6_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.reprotox.2025.109008"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2025.1616186"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ydbio.2015.08.004"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41572-023-00459-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.12688\/f1000research.17076.1"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.isci.2024.110904"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2019.112525"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10409238.2017.1279120"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1021\/acsptsci.5c00084"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12958-023-01155-w"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2025.120842"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2025.120495"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2025.1613156"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms20071633"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/0976-0105.177703"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1109987108"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/hropen\/hoad007"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_6_19_1","first-page":"18","article-title":"Causes of male infertility: a 9-year prospective monocentre study on 1737 patients with reduced total sperm counts","volume":"32","author":"Punab M.","year":"2017","unstructured":"Punab M., Poolamets O., Paju P., Vihljajev V., Pomm K., Ladva R., Korrovits P., Laan M. (2017). Causes of male infertility: a 9-year prospective monocentre study on 1737 patients with reduced total sperm counts. Human Reproduction, 32(1), 18\u201331. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/humrep\/dew284","journal-title":"Human Reproduction"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1096\/fj.07-9574LSF"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00441-018-2891-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox13020193"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00335-025-10162-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.phymed.2025.157321"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/cells11142253"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/and.14427"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lfs.2025.123471"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mito.2020.06.003"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2021.113790"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_30_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization. (2025). Infertility (Fact sheet). https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/infertility"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2023.114831"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13578-015-0034-x"}],"container-title":["American Journal of Men's Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/15579883261492747","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/15579883261492747","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/15579883261492747","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T06:50:44Z","timestamp":1790923844000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/15579883261492747"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/15579883261492747"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/15579883261492747","relation":{},"ISSN":["1557-9883","1557-9891"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1557-9883","type":"print"},{"value":"1557-9891","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"article-number":"15579883261492747"}}