Study on the mechanism of different doses of lycium barbarum polysaccharides affecting sperm motility in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Reproductive toxicology (Elmsford, N.Y.) Vol. 137; p. 109034
• Main Authors: Yu, Jingjing, Fu, Wenjun, Wang, Xinyi, Zhang, Xiang, Xiong, Kun, Wang, Yuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2025
• Subjects: Animals; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - physiology; Drosophila Proteins - genetics; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Drug dosage; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - toxicity; Female; Lycium barbarum polysaccharides; Male; Receptor desensitization; Reproductive; Sperm Motility - drug effects; Testis - drug effects; Testis - metabolism; Lycium barbarum polysaccharides; Receptor desensitization; Reproductive; Drug dosage; Drosophila
• ISSN: 0890-6238; 1873-1708; 1873-1708
• DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2025.109034

Lycium barbarum, a Solanaceae plant, yields bioactive polysaccharides (LBP) in its dried mature fruits. LBP has demonstrated protective effects on the reproductive system. This study took Drosophila melanogaster as the experimental subject to investigate the dose-dependence of LBP on male reproductive capacity. The flies were orally administered LBP (0–2000 mg/L) by the CAFE method. Twenty-four hours later, sperm motility, ovulation rate and testicular gene expression were evaluated. Key results: LBP modulates sperm motility and female ovulation rate in a dose-dependent manner. The dose-response curves of oamb, gish, zeste and cg9465 show an inverted U-shaped trend. LBP regulates spermatogenic genes through OAMB receptor. The PKA signal was positively correlated with histone methyltransferase (zeste), indicating that there are other regulatory pathways. Two-phase dose effects were observed: LBP enhanced motility at 0–150 mg/kg and 450–1000 mg/kg, while inhibited motility at 150–450 mg/kg and > 1000 mg/kg. In conclusion, the reproductive effects of LBP follow nonlinear dynamic laws. This complexity further highlights the necessity of conducting in-depth studies on each component of LBP in order to accurately assess its reproductive toxicity and optimize its therapeutic potential. [Display omitted] •Dose-dependent effect; The biological effect of LBP shows dose-specificity. It is necessary to avoid the simple linear dose-response hypothesis and emphasize the precise dose design of targeted therapy.•Multi-pathway regulatory mechanism; LBP functions through multiple signaling pathways. Key targets need to be analyzed through component purification and pathway specificity studies to go beyond the application limitations of traditional crude extracts.•Epigenetic regulatory network; It was found that the OAMB-H3K27me3-zeste feedback loop maintains physiological homeostasis.•Implications for Drug Development; By clarifying the molecular action network of LBP, it can guide the design of precise drugs and the development of combined treatment strategies.