Observations on the ultrastructure of a rat mammary gland treated with harmal and borage

It had been indentified by histological, histochemical and morphometrical studies that peganum harmala is a mammogenic herb and borage officinalis is a lactogenic one. To complete our investigation about these two herbs, we performed electron microscopical study. Rats were grouped according to their physiological status into three groups. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups: one control and two experimental. The two experimental groups were treated daily; the 1[st] one with an aqueous extract of peganum harmala seeds and the 2[nd] with an aqueous extract of borage officinalis flowers. After two weeks of treatment, mammary glands were employed for electron microscopical study. In virgin rats, the epithelial and myoepithelial cells were partially differentiated when harmal was given and completely differentiated when borage was given. In pregnant rats, harmal and borage optimize mammary parenchymal growth and induce lactation when these herbs were given. In lactating rats, these herbs exhibited a picture similar to control lactating group but the budding of lipid droplets and the swelling of secretary vesicles were markedly increased. Both harmal and borage stimulate the release of prolactin and induce galactogenesis during pregnancy and promote it during lactation

effect of the aqueous extract of peganum harmala seeds on the mammary glands of virgin, pregnant, and lactating rats

Penganum harmala is a well known herb that is used by different societies. It is used as a medical herb in treating various diseases and disorders .There was no earlier published work on the effects of the aqueous extract of Penganum harmala. Therefore, we designed this study to investigate the effect of the aqueous extract of Penganum harmala seeds on the mammary gland at the various physiological states [virgin, pregnancy and lactation] making use of the available histological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical means. Aqueous extract of Penganum harmala was given for two weeks by an orogastric tube on single regular daily dosage to Norway albino female rats. Animals were subdivided into subgroups according to their physiological states. Mammary glands of these animals were routinely processed for histological, immunohistochemical and histochemical studies using formalin fixative, paraffin embedded sections in the first two studies and formal calcium, frozen sections in the third study. Experimental specimens were compared with that of control subgroups. Harmal induced mammogenesis in the mammary glands of virgin rats. It's aqueous extract was able to initiate lactogenesis in a well-prepared mammary gland [i. e. during pregnancy] and finally this aqueous extract promotes lactogenesis when administrated during lactation. Penganum harmala is a mmammogenic herb