[Protective effect of Oviductus Ranae capsules on the reproductive organs of aged mice].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the protective effect of Oviductus Ranae (OR) capsules on the reproductive organs in an aged mouse model established by D-galactose injection.


METHODS
Forty-eight female Kunming mice were randomly divided into 4 equal groups, namely the high- and low-dose OR groups, diethylstilbestrol (DT) group, and model group. The mice received subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 6 weeks to establish aging models. Another 12 mice were injected daily with normal saline (NS) to serve as the normal control group. From the third week of the experiment, the mice were given oral OR at low or high doses (in the OR groups) or vegetable oil (in the model or control groups) till the sixth week. In the last two weeks, the vaginal smears were obtained from the mice for evaluating the changes of the vaginal keratinocytes and counting the days of estrus. After completion of drug administration, all the mice were sacrificed and the serum content of estradiol (E(2)) was detected by radioimmunoassay, with the ovarian and uterine indices determined. The ovarian and uterine pathologies were observed using HE staining, and SOD and MDA activities in the ovary and uterus were also assessed.


RESULTS
OR obviously increased E(2) level and the ovarian and uterine indices in the aged mice, also alleviating the pathological change of the ovary and uterus. OR substantially depressed MDA content and enhanced SOD activity in the ovary and uterus.


CONCLUSIONS
OR has definite antioxidative effects and ameliorates the degenerative changes of the reproductive organs in mouse models of aging.
Liang
Lei
L
College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. libraliang78@126.com
Zhang
Xu-Hui
XH
Zhou
Yi
Y
Huang
Yu-Juan
YJ
Deng
Hong-Zhu
HZ
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002214:Capsules; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D008419:Materia Medica / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D002214:Capsules; D008419:Materia Medica; C539466:Oviductus Ranae; D004958:Estradiol