Hideo Inatomi

Effects of Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia L.) or Ginger Rhizome (Zingiber offifinale Rosc) on Spontaneous Mammary Tumorigenesis in SHN Mice

The effects of chronic treatment with hot water extract of Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia L.) or Ginger Rhizome (Zingiber offifinale Rosc) on spontaneous mammary tumorigenesis were examined in SHN virgin mice. In mice given free access to extract of Bitter Melon (0.5%) or Ginger (0.125%) in drinking water, the development of mammary tumors was significantly inhibited. Furthermore, the former inhibited uterine adenomyosis with a common pathological background to mammary tumors and the latterinhibited mammary tumor growth. While the mechanism of the effects of these natural products remains to be clarified, there were no adverse effects of chronic treatment with these agents as estimated from body weight, food and water intake and various plasma component levels as well as external appearance. Thus, these natural products, popular in Japan as foodstuffs, also appear to have a health benefit.

Flavonol glycosides from the flowers of Cucurbita pepo

Abstract Two new flavonol glycosides were isolated from the male flowers of Cucurbita pepo and their structures determined by UV, NMR and FDMS as rhamnazin

Effects of Guan-mu-tong (Caulis aristolochiae manshuriensis) in Combination with other Natural Products on Normal and Preneoplastic Mammary Gland Growth in Mice

The effects of combined treatment with Guan-mu-tong (Gmt: Caulis aristolochiae manshuriensis) and other major components of Shi-Liu-Wei-Liu-Qi-Yin (SLWLQY), a Chinese herbal medicine prescribed for breast diseases, on normal and preneoplastic mammary gland growth were investigated. SHN virgin mice were divided into 6 groups at 3 months of age and treated with the samples in drinking water as shown in Table 2 for 8 weeks. Each sample was extracted repeatedly with hot water, dried in vacuo and dissolved with tap water at the concentration indicated in Table 2. Normal and preneoplastic mammary gland growth and thymidylate synthetase activity in the mammary gland were inhibited by Gmt alone; but its effect was affected slightly by the further addition of other products. However, the excretion of urinary components, which is abnormally low in SHN mice, was gradually enhanced by the addition of other products to Gmt and was highest by SLWLQY. The elongated estrous/metestrous stage of the estrous cycle induced by Gmt+Zq was returned to the control level by further addition of other products and by SLWLQY. The normal parameters in this strain during this age period such as body weight change, food and water intake and immune system were affected little by all treatments. All these findings strongly suggest that one of the principles of prescribing Chinese herbal medicines is to normalize the physical conditions, which, in turn, contributes to therapy and protection from diseases.

Improvement by guan-mu-tong (Caulis aristolochiae manshuriensis) of lactation in mice.

Free access of 0.5% Guan-mu-tong (Gmt) as drinking water inhibited lactation of mice estimated by pup growth rate, which was associated with a decrease in RNA content and RNA/DNA ratio in the mammary glands. 0.05% Gmt improved pup growth rate and mammary DNA content. No pups were lost during the experiment. Similar results were obtained by 0.5% Xia-ru-yong-quan-tang (Xryqt), a Chinese herbal medicine, which contained 0.05% Gmt. Xryqt further prevented a decline in ovarian weight seen by 0.05% Gmt treatment and significantly increased mother weight. These findings revealed two opposite effects of Gmt on mammary glands, stimulative and inhibitory, at low- and high-dose levels, respectively.

Effects of coffee cherry, the residue left after removal of the beans from the coffee fruit, on mammary glands, automatic behavior and related parameters in mice.

To clarify the mechanisms of the anti-mammary tumor activity of coffee cherry (CC), the residue left after the removal of beans from the fruit, the effects in SHN mice of CC on plasma and urine component levels, mammary gland growth, spontaneous motor activity and several related parameters were examined. Hot water extract of CC was given to 2-month-old mice in drinking water (0.5%) for 60 days. The treatment prevented the elevation of plasma and urine levels of alanin amino-transferase and asparate aminotransferase, indicating that CC can protect against metabolic abnormality, which is a cause of the high mammary tumor susceptibility of SHN mice. It also resulted in an inhibition of the formation of precancerous mammary hyperplastic alveolar nodules. Neither food and water intake nor spontaneous motor activity was affected by CC. The findings provide novel information on the mechanism of the protective effect of CC on mammary tumorigenesis and confirm the usefulness of CC as a safe chemopreventive agent of mammary and other types of tumors.

Effects of Medicinal Plants on Mammary Gland Growth in C3H/He Mice

植物由来の天然生理活性物質の家畜への応用の一環として,伝承的に乳腺発育や泌乳性増強に有効と言われている13種の水抽出試料を用いて,そのマウス乳腺の発育に対する影響を検討した.30日齢のC3H/HeMei系雌マウスを2群に分け,実験群には各試料5g/lを含んだ実験水を,対照群には水道水をそれぞれ自由摂取させた.さらに各群の半数には,下垂体1個を腎皮膜下に移植した.51日齢に供試し,乳腺胞の形成と乳管の発育を両側胸部第三乳腺のホールマウント標本により調べた.ハマスゲの根茎由来の香附子は,無処置動物および下垂体移植動物のいずれにおいても対照群に比べ乳管の発育を抑制した.これに対してカラグワの根由来の桑白皮は,いずれの動物においても乳管の発育を著しく促進させた.