Abstract: This study was to investigate the effect of total flavonoids of Epimedium (TFE) on AMPK / SIRT1 / NFκB signaling pathway and its anti-inflammatory effect in the testes of natural aging rats.Forty 18-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into TFE low-,medium-and high-dose group and natural aging group.Ten 2-month-old SD male rats were used as young control group.TFE low-,medium-and high-dose groups were given 10,20 and 40 mg/kg dose for 4 months by stomach lavaging,respectively.However,young control group and natural aging group were given the same concentration of 1% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution,lasting for 4 months.The testicular histology was observed by haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining.The relative protein expression levels of AMPK,p-AMPK,SIRT1,acetyl-NFκBp65,IL-1β and TNF-α in the testes of rats were detected by Western blot.These data showed that TFE treatment significantly improved the change of testicular histomorphology with aging.In addition,TFE significantly increased the protein expression levels of p-AMPK and SIRT1,and decreased the protein expression levels of acetyl-NFκBp65 when compared with the natural aging group.Furthermore,TFE significantly downregulated inflammatory factors IL-1β ,TNF-α levels with aging.Taken together,TFE reduce the inflammatory response of testes in natural aging rats,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of AMPK/SIRT1/NFκB signaling pathway.

Key words: total flavonoids of Epimedium, aging;testes, inflammatory response, AMPK/SIRT1/NFκB signaling pathway