Effects of gonadectomy at different ages and Sasa Health, bamboo grass leaf extract, on spontaneous motor activity in female and male mice.

: To investigate the role of gonadal hormones in spontaneous motor activity and the contribution of Sasa Health, bamboo grass leaf extract, to this process, female and male ICR mice were gonadectomized at 2 (Experiment I) or 9-12 months of age (Experiment II). The spontaneous motor activity was measured 1 week and 1 month after the operation, then after a subsequent 1 month of treatment with Sasa Health administered in the drinking water. Ovariectomy caused a significant decrease in activity even after 1 week in Experiment I, but had little effect in Experiment II. In the males, a significant decrease was found only in the dark phase 1 month after castration in Experiment I, while little change in activity was induced by castration in Experiment II. Administration of Sasa Health caused an increase and decrease in the activity of the females and males, respectively, of both the control and the gonadectomized groups in Experiment I. Sasa Health had little effect on the motor activity in Experiment II. The agent acted on the plasma levels of several components modulated by gonadectomy, mostly restoring them to the control values. These findings indicate that gonadal hormones and Sasa Health influence spontaneous motor activity and plasma component levels in both sexes and have apparent sex- and age-related effects.