Restriction by motherworst (Leonurus sibiricus L) of lactation suppressed by pregnancy-Dependent Mammary Tumors in GR/A Mice

Nagasawa, H.; Suzuki, M.; Inatomi, H.; Hibino, A.; Yamamuro, Y.; Sensui, N.

doi:1991.4.1.15

Article

Animal Reproduction and Physiology

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 1991;4(1): 15-19.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.1991.15 Published online March 1, 1991.

Restriction by motherworst (Leonurus sibiricus L) of lactation suppressed by pregnancy-Dependent Mammary Tumors in GR/A Mice

H. Nagasawa, M. Suzuki, H. Inatomi, A. Hibino, Y. Yamamuro, N. Sensui

Abstract

As a possible step to evaluate in the mammary gland the role of motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L), a representative medicinal plant used traditionally for the therapy of gynecologic diseases, the effects of the agent on lactation which was suppressed by preganacy-dependent mammary tumors (PDMT) were studied in GR/A mice. Beginning the day of placing with males at 45-50 days of age, female mice were given 60% methanol-extract of the aerial part of motherwort as drinking water at the concentration of 0.5% throughout the experiment. Mice developing PDMT during pregnancy [PDMT(+)] and given motherwort were similar to mice developing no PDMT [PDMT(_)] with or without motherwort treatment and were significantly higher than PDMT(+) mice given tap water in litter growth and mammary RNA/DMA ratio on day 12 of the 2nd lactation. Mammary DNA and RNA contents were also elevated by motherwort in PDMT(+) mice. The results suggest that motherwort can ameliorate lactation suppressed by PDMT through its stimulation of both growth and function of the mammary glands.

Keywords: GR/A; Lactation; Motherwort; Mice; Pregnancy-Dependent Mammary Tumors