Effects of TJ-41(Tsumura Hochu-ekki-to) on spermatogenic disorders in mice under current treatment with adriamycin

Experiments were performed to investigate the effects of TJ-41 on spermatogenic disorders under current treatment with adriamycin (ADR). Male ICR mice were intraperitoneally injected with ADR at the dose of 0.15 mg/kg, twice a week for 5 weeks. Simultaneously, these mice were orally administered TJ-41 at the dose of 1, 2 or 4 g/kg for 12 weeks. The effects of TJ-41 were evaluated by histological analysis of germ cells in the testis at 7 weeks after the last injection of ADR. TJ-41 at a dose of 4 g/kg significantly inhibited the decrease of testis weight in mice treated with ADR. TJ-41 at doses of 1 and 4 g/kg significantly decreased the proportion of seminiferous tubules without germ cells as compared with the ADR-treated group. On the other hand, TJ-41 at doses of 1 and 4 g/kg significantly increased the proportion of normal seminiferous tubules and the Sertoli cell ratio of spermatocytes as compared with the ADR-treated group. These results indicate that TJ-41 may qualitatively and quantitatively protect against the decrease of germ cells in the testis of mice treated with ADR.