Abstract
Prolactinomas are harmful to human health, and the clinical first-line treatment drug is bromocriptine. However, 20% prolactinomas patients did not respond to bromocriptine. Hordenine is an alkaloid separated from Fructus Hordei Germinatus, which showed significant antihyperprolactinemia activity in rats. The aim of this study was to explore the effect and mechanism of hordenine on prolactinomas in rats. The study used estradiol to induce prolactinomas, which caused the activation of the pituitary mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in rats significantly. The treatment of hordenine restored estradiol, induced the overgrowth of pituitary gland, and reduced the prolactin (PRL) accumulation in the serum and pituitary gland of rats by blocking the MAPK (p38, ERK1/2, and JNK) activation and production of inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The antiprolactinoma effect of hordenine was mediated by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway activation in rats.
Highlights
As a benign adenomas, pituitary tumor accounts for 15% of all intracranial neoplasms [1, 2]. e prevalence of pituitary tumor is relatively high in the general population, with approximately 77 cases per 100.000 [3, 4] and reached to a 20% prevalence in clinical occult pituitary adenomas [5]
Most of prolactinomas patients show an effective response to the dopamine agonists (DAs) therapy such as bromocriptine and cabergoline, which are the first-line therapies compared with the surgical therapy [9]
We have reported that water extract and total alkaloids of Fructus Hordei Germinatus showed antihyperprolactinemia activity significantly [30, 31]
Summary
Pituitary tumor accounts for 15% of all intracranial neoplasms [1, 2]. e prevalence of pituitary tumor is relatively high in the general population, with approximately 77 cases per 100.000 [3, 4] and reached to a 20% prevalence in clinical occult pituitary adenomas [5]. Pituitary tumor accounts for 15% of all intracranial neoplasms [1, 2]. Prolactinomas are the most frequent pituitary tumors, which account for 50% [6]. The principle of treating prolactinomas is to decrease excessive serum PRL levels and to reduce tumor size, at last to restore pituitary function in patients. Most of prolactinomas patients show an effective response to the dopamine agonists (DAs) therapy such as bromocriptine and cabergoline, which are the first-line therapies compared with the surgical therapy [9]. 25% of prolactinoma patients do not respond to DA therapy, even at high doses of DA [10]. Cabergoline is not on sale in China and other countries at present. erefore, these problems bring a great challenge to the clinical treatments
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