Effect Of Aqueous Extract Of Vaccariae On Milk Production And Prolactin Synthesis And Release In The Rat

Prolactin generally reside in the animal vivo, and it is one kind of polypeptide hormone which anterior pituitary lactotrope secrete. Stricker and Grneter demonstrated pituitary anterior lobe extract can lactating pregnancy queen rabbit, consequently, which was designated prolactin in 1928; prolactin was servered and purificated from animal pituitary in 1933.In view of the traditional belief that it participated expecially control of mammogenesis, lactating function, growth and development .there was a belief that PRL was one kind of proteohormones which antepituitary acidophile cell,gravid uterus caduca and immunocell and so on secreted. vaccariae pertain to vaccaria segetalis Garcke and was anno-facient atrichia herbaceous plant,and its seed were use of medical material, neutral in natual, sweet-bitter flavor, it can activate blood to promote menstruation, lactatin, detumescence odynolysis, indication women menostasia, non-galact, anthracia and so on. It was use as a traditional Chinese material medicine. Vaccariae were generally used in treating many diseases in terms of Chinese medicine , but little is known about its biological effects on intestine and lactation. and rudiment approach lactating dams' milk. Focused on the inspection of the effects of Vaccariae on the lactation volume , weight built up and the lactic gland of the lactating dams, this experiment uses lactating Wistar rat as the model animal and is subdivided into three parts.Part I: The effects of the Vaccariae extracts on the milk production of ratsThe rats feeded with a two dosages Vaccariae extracts (WBL100 and WBL200)in their diets, produces much more milk than the control group, this is evident especially from the third day until the end of experiment with the WBL200 extracts exhibiting a more considerable effect (Assessed with the ANOVA method of SNK analysis, P < 0.01). The significant increase of milk production after 18h to 23h detected in the rats fed with Vaccariae extracts is of great value for the conclusions of this experiment.Part II :The effects of the Vaccariae extracts on the weight and prolactin of ratsAll pups gained weight during the study period and the rate weight gain for the treated groups(WBL100 and WBL200)was significantly higher than that for the controls,a significant difference was observed between all treated groups(WBL100 and WBL200) and the controls(one way ANOVA S-N-K,P<0.05).the plasma PRL concentration was significantly higher in treated animals(WBL100 and WBL200) than controls(Nacl); the plasma PRL concentration after 23h detected in the rats fed with Vaccariae extracts is a little higher than that after 18h etected in the rats fed with Vaccariae extracts.In both CB154-treated groups,pituitary PRL content after subcutaneous injection CB154 was significantly lower than the control value, the plasma PRL concentration after gavage Vaccariae extracts alone was significantly higher than that for treated groups with CB154 plus Vaccariae extract(P<0.05),albeit the treatment with the extract after CB154 injection had no effect on PRL content.PartIII The effects of the Vaccariae extracts on the histology of mammary tissueDevelopment of the mammary glands of rats treated with Vaccariae extracts were much more extensive than the control group, with branch-like mammary alveolars, however, the mammary alveolars in the control group was distributed independently through out the gland tissue. The ducts were prolonged by the proliferation of epithelial cells, and numerous secretary vacuole were formed by the development of alveolars. When the mammary alveolars become secretive during lactation period, lots of lipid was consumed, causing significant decrease of the lipid in the cytoplasm of the lipidcytes.As described above, Vaccariae extracts demonstrates a lactagogue activity and a positive stimulative effect on the secretion and release of prolactin, thus increasing the milk production of rats.