title: [Protective effect of Oviductus Ranae capsules on the reproductive organs of aged mice].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. libraliang78@126.com
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xu-Hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yu-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hong-Zhu
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D008419:Materia Medica; C539466:Oviductus Ranae; D004958:Estradiol