• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.166-173
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• 2000

Objectives : These experiments were undertaken to evaluate the effect of the administration on Korean herbal medicines, Kyoaekungkue-tang, Bojungykki-tang, Kungso-san, Antae-eum, and Antaegumchul-tang, on the reproductive functions in pregnant mice. Methods : Prepared herbal medicines(Kyoaekungkue-tang, Bojungykki-tang, Kungso-san, Antae-eum, Antaegumchul-tang) were administered to three different pregnant staged mice. We designed 3 experiments as follows; prepared herbal medicine administered from ovulation to embryo implantation (Experiment I), or administered after implantation to fetal organogenesis (Experiment II) and lastly administered from end of organogenesis to parturition (Experiment III). At day 14 of pregnancy, the whole uteri of half of the treated mice were retrieved from the Experiment I and in the Experiment II the implantation and mean weight of the fetuses were examined. The mean numbers of offspring, sex ratio and mean birth weight were examined in the other half of the mice. Results : The results from these studies were summarized as followed; 1. From the experiment I (administered from ovulation to embryo implantation), the no. of implantation between control and herbal medicine treated groups were shown similar results. Litter size after parturition was significantly decreased in the herbal medicine treated groups, except for Antaegumchul-tang. However, the mean weight of offspring after parturition showed a tendency to increase in the three herbal medicine treated groups. 2. From the experiment II (administered after implantation to fetal organogenesis), the implantation rates from the herbal medicine treated groups increased more significantly than that of the control Also, litter size and birth weight in the herbal medicine groups, except Antaeeum, increased more significantly than that of the control group. 3. From the experiment III group (administered after organogenesis to parturition), the mean number of offspring in Kyoaekungkue-tang and Antaegumchul-tang treated groups were significantly increased than that of control However, the litter size of the Kungso-san treated mice was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. Compared with the control and other herbal treated groups, the mean weight of fetuses after parturition in the Kyoaekungkue-tang and Antaegumchul-tang treated groups increased significantly. Conclusions : From these results, it can be concluded that Antaegumchul-tang showed more beneficial effects on the reproductive functions, implantation, maintenance of pregnancy, litter size and mean weight than other herbs.