Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the anti-hyperprolactinemic activity of Prunella vulgaris L. extract (PVE) in vivo and in vitro.Methods: Rats were given intraperitoneal (i. p.) metoclopramide (MCP, 150 mg/kg daily) for 10 days to prepare hyperprolactinemia (hyperPRL) model. Bromocriptine was used as positive control drug. High (5.6 g/kg), medium (2.8 g/kg) and low (1.4 g/kg) doses of PVE were administered to hyperPRL rats. The effect of PVE on serum prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2), progesterone (PGN), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were investigated in the rats. MMQ cells derived from rat pituitary adenoma cells and GH3 cells from rat pituitary lactotropictumoral cells were used for in vitro experiments. The effect of PVE on PRL secretion were studied in MMQ cells and GH3 cells respectively.Results: Compared with the control group (446.21 ± 32.43 pg/mL), high (219.23 ± 10.62 pg/mL) and medium (245.47 ± 13.52 pg/mL) reduced PRL level of hyperPRL rats significantly (p 0.05). In MMQ cells, treatment with 5 mg/mL PVE or 10 mg/mL PVE) significantly suppressed PRL secretion and synthesis at 24h compared with controls (p < 0.01). Consistent with D2- action, PVE did not affect PRL in rat pituitary lactotropic tumor-derived GH3 cells that lack the D2 receptor expression, compared with controls.Conclusion: PVE showed anti-hyperPRL activity and can potentially be used for the treatment of hyperprolactinemi, but further studies are required to ascertain this.Keywords: Prunella vulgaris, Hyperprolactinemia, Prolactin, Bromocriptine
Highlights
Hyperprolactinemia is the most common disorder of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis
The two most commonly prescribed drugs in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia are bromocriptine and cabergoline. Both medications are dopamine receptor agonists and share many characteristics and adverse effects, such as headache, nausea and vomiting, among others, though frequency and severity of adverse effects appears to be less in cabergoline compared to bromocriptine
MMQ cells, which express D2 receptor, are an excellent model of hyperPRL derived from rat pituitary adenoma cells responsive to dopamine [12]
Summary
Hyperprolactinemia is the most common disorder of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Patients typically present with hypogonadism, infertility or, in the case of macroadenomas, symptoms related to mass effect (headache and visual field defects) [1]. The effects of PVE on serum hormone levels in hyperPRL rats and PRL secretion in cell-culture systems were investigated. Serum PRL, E2, PGN, FSH and LH levels of the rats were measured by ELISA. Dose-dependent and time-course responses of PRL secretion and synthesis to PVE treatment were evaluated in MMQ cell line.
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