Ninjinyoeito ameliorates anorexia and changes in peptide YY and ghrelin levels of cisplatin-treated mice

We explored the effect of Ninjinyoeito (NYT) on cisplatin-induced anorexia, which reduces cancer patient survival. Both gastrointestinal motility and plasma concentrations of gastrointestinal peptides were assessed. Nine-week-old ICR female mice received intraperitoneal cisplatin injections (10 mg/kg) and daily oral NYT doses of 300 mg/kg (NYT300) or 1000 mg/kg (NYT1000). Plasma levels of gastrointestinal peptides were measured at 3 and 6 days after cisplatin injection. Gastrointestinal motility was assessed by analyzing the concentration of phenol red marker within sections of the gastrointestinal tract. Cisplatin-injected mice showed a decrease in daily food intake, but this effect was attenuated on day 5 with NYT1000 administration. Although plasma ghrelin levels were reduced on day 3 in cisplatin-treated mice, NYT1000 administration ameliorated this decrease. However, there were no differences in ghrelin levels among all groups on day 6. Levels of peptide YY (PYY) were elevated in the plasma of cisplatin-injected mice on days 3 and 6. Administration of NYT300 and NYT1000 suppressed the increase in PYY levels on day 6 but not on day 3. Gastrointestinal motility was impaired on day 6 in cisplatin-treated mice, but NYT1000 administration attenuated this effect. Our results suggest that NYT improves cisplatin-induced anorexia by suppressing alterations in ghrelin and PYY levels and by increasing gastrointestinal motility. Therefore, NYT may be a promising candidate for alleviating cisplatin-induced anorexia.