title: Anti-aging effects of nanpao, a kampo medicine, on reproductive functions in female rats.
abstract: The improvement effect of nanpao, a kampo medicine, on the age-related decline in reproductive function was evaluated in female rats given the test drug for a long-term period. Young rats were allocated to the cesarean section and natural delivery groups to examine reproductive performance (young rat groups). Five-month-old rats were allocated to the 3 groups (aged rat groups): 1--control and 2--nanpao-treated groups. They were given orally in a dose of 0, 30 or 100mg/kg/day of the test drug, respectively. In aged rats, the first mating experiment was initiated at week 21 of dosing to evaluate reproductive performance by natural delivery and the second mating experiment at week 31 of dosing was evaluated by cesarean section. In the first and second mating experiments, various reproductive functions decreased in aged rats as compared to the young rats. On the other hand, loss of regular estrous cycles, decreases in delivery and pregnancy rates and mean fetal weights were inhibited in the treated groups as compared to the control group. In addition, decreases in the numbers of mean live offspring and fetuses were inhibited in the 100 mg/kg/day group. In conclusion, nanpao maintained normal embryo-foetal development in female rats.
authors.affiliation: Safety Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, 3-16-89 Kashima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan. ichihashi.masaru@mx.mt-pharma.co.jp
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichihashi
authors.forename: Aoi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kokubun
authors.forename: Yoshikatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Kouji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: Atsuyuki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal