Icariin plus curcumol enhances autophagy through the mTOR pathway and promotes cathepsin B-mediated pyroptosis of prostate cancer cells

Objective:To examine the effect of icariin plus curcumol on prostate cancer cells PC3 and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Methods:We employed the Cell Counting Kit 8 assay and colony formation assay to assess cell viability and proliferation.Autophagy expression was analyzed using monodansylcadaverine staining.Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were used to evaluate protein expressions related to autophagy,pyroptosis,and the mTOR pathway.Cellular damage was examined using the lactate dehydrogenase assay.Moreover,cathepsin B and NLRP3 were detected by co-immunoprecipitation.Results:Icariin plus curcumol led to a decrease in PC3 cell proliferation and an enhancement of autophagy.The levels of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰand beclin-1 were increased,while the levels of p62 and mTOR were decreased after treatment with icariin plus curcumol.These changes were reversed upon overexpression of mTOR.Furthermore,3-methyladenine resulted in a decrease in inflammatory cytokines,pyroptosis-related protein levels,and lactate dehydrogenase concentration,compared to the icariin plus curcumol group.Inhibiting cathepsin B reversed the regulatory effects of icariin plus curcumol.Conclusions:Icariin plus curcumol demonstrates great potential as a therapeutic agent for castration-resistant prostate cancer by enhancing autophagy via the mTOR pathway and promoting pyroptosis mediated by cathepsin B.These findings provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of icariin and curcumol for prostate cancer treatment.

Icariin ameliorates viral myocarditis by inhibiting TLR4-mediated ferroptosis

Objective:To explore the mechanism by which icariin alleviates viral myocarditis.Methods:CVB3-induced cardiomyocytes were used as an in vitro model of viral myocarditis to assess the effects of icariin treatment on cell viability,inflammation,and apoptosis.Moreover,the effects of icariin on ferroptosis and TLR4 signaling were assessed.After AC16 cells were transfected with TLR4 overexpression plasmids,the role of TLR4 in mediating the regulatory effect of icariin in viral myocarditis was investigated.Results:Icariin significantly elevated cell viability and reduced inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,and IL-18.Flow cytometry revealed that icariin decreased apoptosis rate,and the protein expression of Bax and cleaved caspase 3 and 9 in CVB3-induced cardiomyocytes.Additionally,it suppressed ferroptosis including lipid peroxidation and ferrous ion,as well as the TLR4 signaling.However,TLR4 overexpression abrogated the modulatory effects of icariin.Conclusions:Icariin mitigates CVB3-induced myocardial injury by inhibiting TLR4-mediated ferroptosis.Further animal study is needed to verify its efficacy.

Icariin accelerates bone regeneration by inducing osteogenesisangiogenesis coupling in rats with type 1 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Icariin(ICA),a natural flavonoid compound monomer,has multiple pharmacological activities.However,its effect on bone defect in the context of type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM)has not yet been examined.AIM To explore the role and potential mechanism of ICA on bone defect in the context of T1DM.METHODS The effects of ICA on osteogenesis and angiogenesis were evaluated by alkaline phosphatase staining,alizarin red S staining,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,Western blot,and immunofluorescence.Angiogenesis-related assays were conducted to investigate the relationship between osteogenesis and angiogenesis.A bone defect model was established in T1DM rats.The model rats were then treated with ICA or placebo and micron-scale computed tomography,histomorphometry,histology,and sequential fluorescent labeling were used to evaluate the effect of ICA on bone formation in the defect area.RESULTS ICA promoted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC)proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.The ICA treated-BMSCs showed higher expression levels of osteogenesis-related markers(alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin)and angiogenesis-related markers(vascular endothelial growth factor A and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1)compared to the untreated group.ICA was also found to induce osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling of BMSCs.In the bone defect model T1DM rats,ICA facilitated bone formation and CD31hiEMCNhi type H-positive capillary formation.Lastly,ICA effectively accelerated the rate of bone formation in the defect area.CONCLUSION ICA was able to accelerate bone regeneration in a T1DM rat model by inducing osteogenesis-angiogenesis coupling of BMSCs.

Analysis of the Antidepressant Effects and Mechanisms of Icariin II Based on The GABAergic Nervous System

This article summarized the research progress on the antidepressant mechanism of icariin II,mainly elaborating on its mechanism from five aspects:GABAergic nervous system,inflammatory response,oxidative stress,neurotrophic factors,and neurotransmitters in the brain.Its clinical application value was further explored to provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of icariin II in treating depression.

vbICA方法用于GNSS坐标序列共模误差提取研究

全球导航卫星系统(global navigation satellite system,GNSS)坐标序列精度主要受共模误差(common mode error,CME)影响。为提高GNSS坐标序列精度,采用变分贝叶斯独立分量分析方法(variational Bayesian independent component analysis,vbICA)提取实验区20个GNSS测站坐标序列的CME,并对比分析vbICA与主成分分析(principal component analysis,PCA)和独立分量分析(independent component analysis,ICA)的滤波性能。结果表明,vbICA滤波效果优于PCA和ICA;经vbICA滤波后,E、N、U方向坐标残差序列均方根(RMS)平均降低36.57%、31.63%、10.97%,距离相关系数平均降低60.53%、56.84%、25.80%;扣除CME后,GNSS速度场估计更加可靠和精确,可有效提高GNSS坐标序列精度,为地球动力学研究提供可靠的数据支撑。

Bone mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes involved co-delivery and synergism effect with icariin via mussel-inspired multifunctional hydrogel for cartilage protection

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSC)are particularly effective in promoting cartilage regeneration due to their immunomodulatory,anti-inflammatory and regenerative repair functions of tissues and organs.Meanwhile,the intra-articular delivery and synergy with other therapeutic drugs have been the key issues driving their further application.We report a mussel-inspired multifunctional hydrogel system,which could achieve co-delivery and synergism effect of MSC-derived exosomes(Exos)with icariin(ICA).The ICA and Exos co-delivered articular cavity injection system are expected to retain in the joint cavity and promote cartilage regeneration,due to the thermosensitive,self-healing and adhesion properties of the mussel-inspired multifunctional hydrogel.The experimental results proved that Exos enhanced the cellular uptake of ICA by more than 2-fold evenly,and the synergism of Exos and ICA efficiently improve the cell proliferation and migration.After synergic treatment,the content of matrix metalloproteinase 13 in the supernatant and intracellular decreased by 47%and 59%,respectively.In vivo study,ICA-loaded Exos exhibited prolonged retention behavior bymultifunctional hydrogel delivery,thus displayed an increased cartilage protection.In the model of osteoarthritis,co-delivery hydrogel system relieved the cartilage recession,ensuring appropriate cartilage thickness.

Potential role of microRNA-503 in Icariin-mediated prevention of high glucose-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress

BACKGROUND Dysregulated microRNA(miRNA)is crucial in the progression of diabetic nephropathy(DN).AIM To investigate the potential molecular mechanism of Icariin(ICA)in regulating endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress-mediated apoptosis in high glucose(HG)-induced primary rat kidney cells(PRKs),with emphasis on the role of miR-503 and sirtuin 4(SIRT4)in this process.METHODS Single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(65 mg/kg)in Sprague-Dawley rats induce DN in the in vivo hyperglycemic model.Glucose-treated PRKs were used as an in vitro HG model.An immunofluorescence assay identified isolated PRKs.Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry analyzed the effect of ICA treatment on cell viability and apoptosis,respectively.Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyzed the levels of ER stressrelated proteins.Dual luciferase analysis of miR-503 binding to downstream SIRT4 was performed.RESULTS ICA treatment alleviated the upregulated miR-503 expression in vivo(DN)and in vitro(HG).Mechanistically,ICA reduced HG-induced miR-503 overexpression,thereby counteracting its function in downregulating SIRT4 levels.ICA regulated the miR-503/SIRT4 axis and subsequent ER stress to alleviate HG-induced PRKs injury.CONCLUSION ICA reduced HG-mediated inhibition of cell viability,promotion of apoptosis,and ER stress in PRKs.These effects involved regulation of the miR-503/SIRT4 axis.These findings indicate the potential of ICA to treat DN,and implicate miR-503 as a viable target for therapeutic interventions in DN.

Icariin ameliorates memory deficits through regulating brain insulin signaling and glucose transporters in 3×Tg-AD mice

Icariin,a major prenylated flavonoid found in Epimedium spp.,is a bioactive constituent of Herba Epimedii and has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects in experimental models of Alzheimer’s disease.In this study,we investigated the neuroprotective mechanism of icariin in an APP/PS1/Tau triple-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.We performed behavioral tests,pathological examination,and western blot assay,and found that memory deficits of the model mice were obviously improved,neuronal and synaptic damage in the cerebral cortex was substantially mitigated,and amyloid-βaccumulation and tau hyperphosphorylation were considerably reduced after 5 months of intragastric administration of icariin at a dose of 60 mg/kg body weight per day.Furthermore,deficits of proteins in the insulin signaling pathway and their phosphorylation levels were significantly reversed,including the insulin receptor,insulin receptor substrate 1,phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase,protein kinase B,and glycogen synthase kinase 3β,and the levels of glucose transporter 1 and 3 were markedly increased.These findings suggest that icariin can improve learning and memory impairments in the mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease by regulating brain insulin signaling and glucose transporters,which lays the foundation for potential clinical application of icariin in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

基于ICA算法和三支决策的入侵检测方法

网络入侵行为的多样化和智能化,以及网络数据具有特征维数高和非线性可分等特点,导致了网络数据特征提取不充分和模型分类准确率低等问题。为此,提出一种基于独立成分分析(ICA)算法和三支决策(TWD)的入侵检测算法。利用ICA算法将网络连接数据基于极大非高斯性进行特征提取,同时将数据从高维特征空间映射到低维特征空间,以此来消除冗余数据,并通过多次的特征提取来构造多粒度的特征空间。对网络行为进行三支决策。建立的模型在NSL-KDD、CIC-IDS2017数据集上的实验结果表明其具有更好的特征提取能力和更精确的分类能力。

Exploring the mechanism of icariin in regulat⁃ing cardiac microvascular endothelial cells based on network pharmacology,molecular docking and in vitro experiments

OBJECTIVE To investigate the regulatory effects of icariin(ICA)on cardiac micro⁃vascular endothelial cells(CMEC)after oxygenglucose deprivation reperfusion(OGD/R)injury.METHODS CMEC were subjected to OGD/R treatment to construct a myocardial ischemiareperfusion model,and were divided into normal,model,low(10μmol·L^(-1)),medium(20μmol·L^(-1))and high(40μmol·L^(-1))ICA group,and high ICA+inhibitor group(40μmol·L^(-1)+20 nmol·L^(-1)).CCK-8 assay was used to assess the protective ability of ICA against CMEC,and cell migration assay and tube-formation assay were used to detect the migration and generation ability of CMEC.The TCMSP database,Swiss-Target database and literature mining methods were used to col⁃lect ICA-related targets,the GeneCards data⁃base was used to collect target genes related to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion,and Cytoscape 3.8.0 software was used to construct a"drug-tar⁃get-disease"network.The potential targets were imported into STRING 11.5 database to obtain the PPI network.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed on the potential targets using the DAVID database.Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock-vina 1.1.2 soft⁃ware.Western blot detected the expression of related proteins.RESULTS After CMEC was subjected to OGD/R treatment,ICA had a protec⁃tive effect at 10^(-1)60μmol·L^(-1);the results of the cell migration assay showed that each group of ICA could promote the migratory effect of CMEC(P<0.01,P<0.01);and the results of tube-for⁃mation assay showed that each group of ICA could significantly promote the generation of branches(P<0.01)and the capillary length exten⁃sion(P<0.05).Network pharmacology collected a total of 23 ICA action targets,1500 disease tar⁃gets and 12 key targets.GO function enrichment analysis found 85 results.KEGG pathway enrich⁃ment analysis found 53 results,involving AGERAGE signaling pathway,sphingolipid signaling pathway and VEGF signaling pathway.Molecu⁃lar docking results showed that ICA had better binding with core targets PRKCB,PRKCA and PTGS2.Western blot results showed that ICA could regulate the expression of PRKCB,PRKCA and PTGS2 proteins.The results of cell migra⁃tion assay,tube-formation assay and protein expression were reversed after addition of PKC inhibitor.CONCLUSION The potential mecha⁃nism of action of ICA against myocardial isch⁃emia-reperfusion injury may be related to the reg⁃ulation of processes such as CMEC migration and angiogenesis,and it functions through the key target gene PKC.

混合光谱曲线的Fast ICA盲源解混及影响因子研究

混合物高光谱分析是矿物无损检测的关键技术。文中将混合物350~2500 nm区间光谱反射率变化看作时域变化的一维序列信号,将混合物光谱分离转变为时域信号的盲源分离问题。为了分析混合光谱解混速度和准确度的影响因子,采用Fast ICA数学模型对混合物实测高光谱反射曲线进行了盲源解混试验,从解混过程的白化方式、初始权阵,源光谱高斯性3个方面分析了光谱解混的结果,为混合物光谱检测的后期分析提供了研究基础。选取化学纯氧化铜和氧化亚铜混合物、碱式碳酸铜和氢氧化铜混合物为试验对象,采用解混性能指数PI、光谱均方根误差和光谱角距离作为评价指标,开展了源光谱高斯性与g函数、ZCA和PCA白化方式、及单位权、随机权、指定权3种初始权对解混光谱结果影响的对比实验。实验结果表明:Fast ICA算法在未知混合矿物高光谱先验信息的基础上,能够有效分离出混合物组分源光谱,样本分离精度PI值均小于0.18,光谱盲源解混的效果显著。解混后光谱曲线与源光谱曲线在特征趋势上保持一致,具有相同的吸收位置和特征峰,但是存在一定尺度的差异。另外,源光谱的高斯性与解混g函数的选取会直接影响解混结果,亚高斯区间曲线分离精度优于超高斯部分。依据高斯性进行分段解混结果的吸收特征会更加突出,与源光谱反射率数值差异也随之增大;光谱预处理的白化方式会对解混结果精度产生微小影响,经过ZCA白化后解混结果的分离精度、光谱的准确度均略高于PCA白化;在Fast ICA模型3种初始权解混结果对比发现,以初次迭代结果计算的指定权进行迭代解混时,其分离精度、解混准确度及解混时间均为最佳,解混过程更易收敛。结果表明,根据全波段高斯性来选取g函数解混效果最优,分离指数PI小于0.14,光谱角距离在0.1左右,ZCA白化比PCA白化对解混光谱的影响更小,ZCA白化后的两组混合物解混的分离指数在0.1左右,而PCA白化的分离指数PI均高于0.13,当指定权作初始权时有助于提高牛顿迭代中收敛速度,使解混光谱更接近组分已知光谱,指定权的解混时间低于0.2 s,其他两种定权方式均在0.3 s以上。

MCKD降噪的EMD-ICA滚动轴承故障诊断方法

滚动轴承在强背景噪声条件下的故障诊断通过经验模态分解(Empirical Mode Decomposition,EMD)构造的信号包络或将信号直接包络,在分析诊断过程中可能不会取得理想结果,诊断效果不够明显。文中提出在最大相关峭度解卷积(Maximum Correlation Kurtosis Deconvolution,MCKD)降噪的基础上进行EMD-ICA的滚动轴承故障诊断方法。首先对强背景噪声信号MCKD降噪,再进行EMD分解,经过相关系数及峭度准则的筛选,构造特征频率突出的合成信号,进行独立分量分析(Independent Component Analysis,ICA)处理;然后根据结构计算出故障频率,与包络解调的频率进行对比,得出诊断结论。通过仿真、实验和实际工程数据验证了该方法的有效性。

迭代EMD-ICA与Levkov联合的瞬态响应工频干扰抑制方法

瞬态响应信号的获取过程中不可避免会引入工频干扰及工频谐波干扰,且具有非平稳小信号、工频干扰频率游动和频带混叠的特点,常规方法处理效果较差。针对该问题,提出一种基于迭代EMD-ICA与Levkov联合的瞬态响应工频干扰抑制方法。将EMD和ICA结合起来,通过EMD构造参考信号,从而满足ICA的使用条件来进行工频干扰抑制,由迭代EMD-ICA来克服工频频率游动的问题,使用Levkov法进行再次滤波来解决工频谐波干扰问题。

基于复数域ICA的DOA估计方法

文中基于复数域的盲源分离方法和子空间的特性,提出了一种DOA估计方法。首先对阵列的模型与盲源分离的模型进行适配,阐明了盲源分离可以用于对信号来向进行估计,接着在分析有噪条件下盲源分离的缺点后,采用子空间投影的方式将信号投影到子空间中运算,以获取运算后的方向矢量的估计值。最后通过仿真结果验证了该方法的有效性与可行性。

PSO-ICA算法在钻井井场噪声处理中的应用

井场噪声主要来源于钻井井场的各类设备,对各种测量仪器的正常使用产生了严重影响。为了降低井场噪声对测井仪器和测量系统的影响,基于现有的关于井场噪声统计特性的研究,采用一种基于粒子群优化(Particle Swarm Optimization, PSO)的独立分量分析(Independent Component Analysis, ICA)算法来处理井场噪声。ICA算法是一种基于统计特性角度的信号处理技术,能够实现信号分离,对噪声处理具有一定的可行性。通过采用POS算法,自适应地调整粒子群的速度和位置,以更广泛地搜索解空间,从而更精确地确定各类噪声的权重。仿真结果表明,PSO-ICA算法能够有效分离出各类噪声,并对每种噪声所占的权重值进行优化。

Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶剂的处方优化及体外释放研究

[目的]对Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶剂处方进行优化并考察其体外释放特性。[方法]物理吸附法制备Icariin/HAP纳米混悬液,研和法制备Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶,采用正交设计对处方进行优化,透析法测定Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶中药物的释放。[结果]Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶优选处方为卡波姆浓度为1%,三乙醇胺用量为1.5%,丙二醇用量为5%。Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶剂、Icariin凝胶剂和Icariin溶液体外释放均符合一级模型和Weibull模型。[结论]以卡波姆为基质制备Icariin/HAP纳米凝胶,处方简单,质量稳定,可提高Icariin/HAP纳米混悬液的稳定性。

Effects of icariin on erectile function and expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in castrated rats

Aim： To investigate the effect of icariin on erectile function and the expression of nitric oxide synthase （NOS） isoforms in castrated rats. Methods： Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into one shamoperated group （A） and three castrated groups （B, C and D）. One week after surgery, rats were treated with normal saline （groups A and B） or oral icariin （1 mg/[kg·day] for group C and 5 mg/[kg·day] for group D） for 4 weeks. One week after treatment, the erectile function of the rats was assessed by measuring intracavernosal pressure （ICP） during electrostimulation of the cavernosal nerve. The serum testosterone （ST） levels, the percent of smooth muscle （PSM） in trabecular tissue, and the expression of mRNA and proteins of neuronal nitric oxide synthase （nNOS）, inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）, endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） and phosphodiesterase V （PDES） in corpus cavernosum （CC） were also evaluated. Results： ICP, PSM, ST and the expression of nNOS, iNOS, eNOS and PDE5 were significantly decreased in group B compared with those in group A （P 〈 0.01）. However, ICE PSM and the expression of nNOS and iNOS were increased in groups C and D compared with those in group B （P 〈 0.05）. Changes in ST and the expression of eNOS and PDE5 were not significant （P 〉 0.05） in groups C and D compared with those in group B. Conclusion： Oral treatment with icariin （〉 98.6 % purity） for 4 weeks potentially improves erectile function. This effect is correlated with an increase in PSM and the expression of certain NOS in the CC of castrated rats. These results suggest that icariin may have a therapeutic effect on erectile dysfunction.

The testosterone mimetic properties of icariin

Aim： To evaluate the testosterone mimetic properties of icariin. Methods： Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats at the age of 15 months were randomly divided into four groups with 12 rats each： the control group （C）, the model group （M）, the icariin group （ICA） and the testosterone group （T）. The reproductive system was damaged by cyclophosphamide （intraperitoneal injection, 20 mg/kg·day） for 5 consecutive days for groups M, ICA and T, at the sixth day, ICA （gastric gavage, 200 mg/kg·day） for the ICA group and sterandryl （subcutaneous injection, 5 rag/rat.day） for the T group for 7 consecutive days, respectively. The levels of serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone （LH）, follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）, serum bone Gla-protein （BGP） and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity in serum （StrACP） were determined. The histological changes of the testis and the penis were observed by microscope with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP-X nick end labeling （TUNEL）, respectively. Results： （1） Icariin improved the condition of reproductive organs and increased the circulating levels of testosterone. （2） Icariin treatment also improved the steady-state serum BGP and might have promoted bone formation. At the same time, it decreased the serum levels of StrACP and might have reduced the bone resorption. （3） Icarrin suppressed the extent of apoptosis of penile cavernosal smooth muscle cells. Conclusion： Icariin has testosterone mimetic properties and has therapeutic potential in the management of hypoandrogenism.

Compound of icariin,astragalus,and puerarin mitigates iron overload in the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer＇s disease mice

Increasing evidence indicates that disruption of normal iron homeostasis may contribute to pathological development of Alzheimer＇s disease.Icariin,astragalus,and puerarin have been shown to suppress iron overload in the cerebral cortex and improve spatial learning and memory disorders in Alzheimer＇s disease mice,although the underlying mechanism remains unclear.In the present study,APPswe/PS1ΔE9 transgenic mice were administered icariin,astragalus,and puerarin（120,80,and 80 mg/kg,respectively,once a day,for 3 months）.Iron levels were detected by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy.Interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were measured in the cerebral cortex by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity and malondialdehyde content were determined by colorimetry.Our results demonstrate that after treatment,iron levels and malondialdehyde content are decreased,while glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities are increased.Further,interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were reduced.These results confirm that compounds of icariin,astragalus,and puerarin may alleviate iron overload by reducing oxidative stress and the inflammatory response.

Relationships Between Icariin and Anti-Apoptotic miRNA-21 in Mouse Blastocyst Development In vitro

In this study, the effect of icariin, a flavonoid from the Chinese traditional medicine epimedium, on miRNA-21 of mouse developmental blastocysts in vitro and the development of preimplantation embryos were studied. The possible effective targets of icariin promoting preimplantation embryo development in vitro and anti-apoptosis were determined. The embryos were cultured in modified CZB medium （mCZB） as control group. The experimental group （Ica group） was supplemented with 0.6 μg mL-1 icariin. Mouse pronuclear embryos were cultured in vitro until blastocysts. The development rates of preimplantation embryos were observed. The total cell number, apoptotic cell number and the rate of apoptotic cells in blastocysts were analysed by the staining of Hoechst33342 and labeling of TUNEL and detected under a laser confocal scanning microscope. The miRNA-21 expression, the mRNA levels of pro-apoptotic Caspase3, and the target genes of miRNA-21： pro-apoptotic PTEN, anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 were detected by real-time RT-PCR. The results showed that percentages of morulaes and blastocysts in Ica group were both extremely higher than control group （（85.14±6.57）% vs. （72.04±11.58）%; （82.50±7.11）% vs. （66.80±11.70）%, respectively, P〈0.01）. The total cell number ofblastocysts had extreme difference between Ica group and control group （（61.40±9.64） vs. （46.23±4.50）, P〈0.01）. The apoptotic cell number and rate of apoptotic cells of blastocysts were both reduced in Ica group （（1.47±0.51） vs. （2.94±0.66）; （2.40±0.27）% vs. （6.25±0.62）%, respectively, P〈0.01）. Compared to control group, addition of icariin into mCZB extremely increased the expression of anti-apoptotic miRNA-21 （P〈0.01）, down-regulated pro-apoptotic Caspase3 （P〈0.05） and PTEN （P〈0.01）, up-regulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 （P〈0.01）. In conclusion, icariin could reduce the apoptosis, promote the embryo development in vitro by enhancing miRNA-21 expression to up-regulated anti-apoptotic genes and down-regulated pro- apoptotic genes. These apoptosis-related genes were regulated by miRNA-21.