title: Pharmacological investigations of the unique herbal formula Menoprogen in rats: estrogenic activity and mechanism.
abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate the pharmacological effects of Menoprogen in the management of menopausal symptoms for aged female rats. Menoprogen was supplemented to a group of elderly female rats for 8 weeks. Subsequently, histopathological examinations were conducted in the isolated uterine and ovary tissues and pituitary glands of the rats. Serum levels of estradiol (E(2)), progesterone (P), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined. The ultrastructure of the rat ovarian granulocytes was analyzed. The histopathological examinations revealed no statistical difference in the quantity of follicles in the ovary and of acidophil and basophil cells in the anterior pituitary gland of the Menoprogen-fed rats versus healthy normal rats. Moreover, the cellular morphogenesis was in a healthy state for the Menoprogen-fed rats. Menoprogen significantly increased the levels of serum E(2) and P but reduced FSH and LH levels. The electron microscopic analysis showed that Menoprogen significantly retarded apoptosis of the ovarian granulocytes of the rats. Further investigation of Menoprogen for the alternative treatment of menopausal symptoms is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Chinese Academy of Science, Jiangsu Institute of Botany, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D031187:Carthamus tinctorius / Q000737:chemistry; D027825:Crataegus / Q000737:chemistry; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007795:Laminaria / Q000737:chemistry; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D032305:Lycium / Q000737:chemistry; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D023421:Models, Animal; D031625:Morus / Q000737:chemistry; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D028321:Plant Preparations; C529990:menoprogen; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone