精索静脉曲张（VC）是男性不育的第一大原因，我们前期的理论探讨、临床研究发现调肝中药具有较好疗效，动物实验发现干细胞因子（SCF）及其受体c-kit在调肝中药治疗时发生了显著变化，结合文献，我们认为调肝中药可能是通过干预SCF/c-kit系统发挥治疗作用的。本研究拟在体内观察调肝中药对VC不育大鼠生殖能力的作用，检测支持细胞FSH受体和生精细胞c-kit mRNA和蛋白表达、SCF蛋白表达，观察SCF/c-kit在睾丸组织的共定位表达，分析调肝中药对VC不育的治疗作用及其与SCF/c-kit系统的相关性；在体外研究调肝中药对体外培养的支持细胞、生精细胞及支持细胞/生精细胞共存条件下SCF/c-kit系统的影响，探讨SCF/c-kit系统在调肝中药改善生精功能中的作用。从而验证调肝中药是治疗VC不育的有效方法，阐明VC导致不育是通过SCF/c-kit介导的，是调肝中药干预VC不育的靶点。

Varicocle (VC) is the first reason causing male infertility, and our previous researches and clinical trials showed that liver-regulating herb had a good curative effect on VC. We found that stem cell factor (SCF) and its receptor c-kit changed significantly in experimental VC rats treated with liver-regulating herb when compared to control rats. According to literatures, we deduced that the herb may play its curative role through interfering with SCF/c-kit system. Therefore, this program will explore the effect of liver-regulating herb on reproductive ability of infertile male rats with experiment VC in vivo, detect the expression of the receptor of FSH on sertoli cells and c-kit on spermatogenic cells at mRNA and protein levels, and the protein expression of SCF, observe the con-location of SCF/c-kit on testis tissue, and analyze the relativity of curative effect of the herb on male infertility caused by VC and SCF/c-kit system. In vitro, we will study the effect of the liver-regulating herb on SCF/c-kit under the three different cell cultures, including sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells individually, and the both cells, and investigate the effect of SCF/c-kit on the herb improving the spermatogenesis function. So then, we will supply enough evidence to prove the curative effect of the liver-regulating herb on male infertility with VC, clarify this effect is mediated by SCF/c-kit system and SCF/c-kit is the target of the liver-regulating herb intervening in male infertility with VC.