Objective To observe effects of four extracts (water, n-butanol, acetoacetate and petro-leum benzine extracts) from Hippocampus japonicus on kidney-yang deficiency mice induced by extradiol, and reveal the modern scientific connotation about sweet-flavor, warm-nature, meridian tropism in liver and kidney. Methods Kidney-yang deficiency mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of estradiol benzoate. Effects of four extracts from H. japonicus were observed by measuring physical signs, rectal temperature, grip strength, swimming time, autonomic mobility, creatinine (Cr) and urea (UR) level in serum, haematological indexes, testis index and seminal vesicle index. Results All the four extracts from H. japonicus could markedly improve physical signs and increase seminal vesicle index, RBC, Hb and PLT in blood, and decrease UR level in serum of kidney-yang deficiency mice, water extract and petoleum benzine extract could increase rectal temperature, grip strength, swimming time, autonomic mobility, testis index, WBC, lymphocyte (LY), monocyte (MO), and neutrophilic granulocyte (NE), n-butanol extract could increase autonomic mobility and NE, acetoacetate extract could enhance grip strength and prolong swimming time. Conclusion All above effects of extracts from H. japonicus could be as the basic of improving kidney-yang deficiency, could be an important part of the modern scientific connotation about sweet-flavor, warm-nature, meridian tropism in liver and kidney. Effects of water extract and petroleum ether extract were closer and stronger, which offer enlightenment for searching the common effective substance groups of H. japoniacs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yunkang oral liquid on postpartum kidney deficiency in mice. MethodPostpartum mice were randomized into model and low-dose （6 mL·kg^-1）， medium-dose （9 mL·kg^-1）， and high-dose （12 mL·kg^-1） Yunkang oral liquid groups. The mouse model of postpartum kidney deficiency was established by sleep deprivation combined with forced swimming. Another 9 female ICR mice were selected as the normal control group. The mice were administrated with Yunkang oral liquid during the period of modeling. The levels of estradiol （E₂）， progesterone （P）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， and luteinizing hormone （LH） in the serum were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The morphological changes of ovaries and uterus were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the expression of transforming growth factor （TGF）-β and Smad2/3 was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. ResultThe mice in the model group showed prolonged estrous cycle， reduced voluntary activity， dorsal temperature， grip strength， and bone strength， and whitening tongue coating. Compared with the model group， Yunkang oral liquid shortened the estrous cycle， increased the voluntary activity， dorsal temperature， grip strength， and bone strength， and alleviated the whitening of tongue coating. Moreover， it elevated the E₂ and P levels and lowered the FSH and LH levels in the serum， decreased ovarian follicular atresia rate， promoted uterine repair， and down-regulated the expression of TGF-β and Smad2/3 in the ovarian and uterine tissues. ConclusionYunkang oral liquid can ameliorate postpartum kidney deficiency in mice by regulating the TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway.