Effects of Bushen Kangshuai Tang in retrieving oxidative stress-induced reproductive defects in Caenorhabditis elegans.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the function of Bushen Kangshuai Tang (BKT), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in alleviating oxidative stress-induced reproductive defects in organism nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.


METHODS
The L4-larvae were cultured with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of BKT with the final concentration of 0.33 g/mL. Ultraviolet irradiation [20 J/(m(2) x min)], heat-shock (36 degrees centigrade, 2 h), and paraquat treatment (2 mmol/L, 2h) were exerted as the stresses. Reproduction was assayed by the egg number in uterus, brood size, and generation time.


RESULTS
Ultraviolet irradiation, heat-shock, and paraquat treatment could significantly reduce egg number in uterus and brood size, increase generation time, and suppress activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase of the treated wild-type N2 nematodes. Administration of BKT did not cause toxic or altered effects on reproduction under wild-type background in C. elegans. However, BKT administration at higher concentrations could not only effectively alleviate the reproductive defects induced by ultraviolet irradiation, heat-shock, and paraquat treatment, but also increase the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities suppressed by ultraviolet irradiation, heat-shock, and paraquat treatment as compared with the control. Moreover, administration of BKT at higher concentrations could largely recover the reproductive defects formed in mev-1 mutant nematodes with elevated oxidative stress.


CONCLUSIONS
Oxidative stress can negatively regulate the reproductive process, and the administration of high concentrations of BKT will largely retrieve the oxidative stress-induced reproductive defects in exposed nematodes.
Cao
Xin-Guo
XG
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210004, Jiangsu Province, China.
Hou
Li-Li
LL
Chen
Jun-Xia
JX
Lu
Qin
Q
D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal