Objective:To investigate the effects of Liuwei Dihuang decoction(LW) and its decomposed recipes on hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary(HPO) axis in corticosterone administrated mice.Methods:Radioimmunoasay(RIA) was used to test the Concentrations of hypothalamus gonadotropin-releasing hormone(GnRH)and serum estradiol

the western blot technique was employed to quantify the level of luteinizing hormone(LH) in the pituitary.Results:The body weights and ovary weights of CORT administrated mice were markedly decreased.Meanwhile

the concentrations of serum estradiol

pituitary LH and hypothalamal GnRH in CORT treated mice were significantly decreased.Oral administration of LW showed little effect on the body and ovary weights in CORT administrated mice

but showed significantly improving effects on the levels of serum estradiol

pituitary LH and hypothalamous GnRH.Oral administration of three purgative (5.4 g/kg) decreased body weight of tested mice even further

while administration of three purgative (1.8

3.6

5.4 g/kg) or three tonic(3.2 g/kg) induced further decrease on ovary weight of tested mice.The decomposed recipes of LW are no longer effective in ameliorating hormone secretion of HPO axis.Conclusion:Administration of CORT induced malfunction of HPO axis

and LW improved or restored the disturbance of HPO axis in CORT treated mice.The decomposed recipes of LW are no longer effective in ameliorating malfunction of HPO axis

indicating that there were co-operations among components of LW.