Premium
Saikokaryukotsuboreito during pregnancy protects rat neonates from maternal cannibalism and death in a neurolathyrism experimental model
Author(s) -
KusamaEguchi Kuniko,
Kawaguchi Kimino,
Yakubo Syuji,
Kitanaka Susumu,
Matsuzaki Keiichi,
Takamiya Tomoko,
Fukuda Noboru,
Masuko Takashi,
Hirose Dai,
Makino Mitsuko,
Ueda Yukiko,
Ikegami Fumio,
Iijima Hiroshi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
traditional and kampo medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2053-4515
DOI - 10.1002/tkm2.1047
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , lactation , incidence (geometry) , neurotoxin , physiology , biology , genetics , physics , optics
Aim Stress during the perinatal period may result in failure to thrive in the newborn. A possible preventive effect of two kampo formulae, saikokaryukotsuboreito ( SRB ) and hachimijiogan ( HJG ) on the incidence of hind‐leg paraparesis and mortality in newborns, including that due to maternal cannibalism, were examined in neurotoxin‐treated rats. Methods Female W istar/ ST rats treated with SRB or HJG during pregnancy and the lactation period were separated from their pups for 6 h daily and then reunited. The pups were treated daily with a neurotoxin, l ‐β‐ N ‐oxalyl‐α,β‐diaminopropionic acid ( l ‐β‐ ODAP ), to cause neurolathyrism‐like symptoms, a motor defect leading to hind‐leg paraparesis. Results Although SRB and HJG treatment in mother rats did not affect the incidence of motor defect (paraparesis) in the pups, pup mortality was greatly and significantly decreased during the treatment period in the SRB group but not in the HJG group. Conclusion SRB treatment in mother rats is effective in decreasing pup mortality mainly due to cannibalism, thus suggesting its potential for anxiety disorder during the perinatal period in humans.