ABSTRACT
Centchroman (Ormeloxifene) is a nonsteroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator that is used as once a week oral contraceptive agent. The effect of centchroman on the immune system was evaluated by using different experimental models such as carbon clearance test, cyclophosphamide induced neutropenia, neutrophil adhesion test, effect on serum immunoglobulins, mice lethality test and indirect haemagglutination test. The first three models namely carbon clearance test, cyclophosphamide induced neutropenia and neutrophil adhesion test were used to study cell mediated immunity while the latter three models were used to see the effect on humoral immunity. Centchroman was administered orally at a dose of 5 mg/kg and levamisole (2.5 mg/kg/ p.o) was used as standard drug. Centchroman significantly increased the levels of serum immunoglobulins and also prevented the mortality induced by bovine Pasteurella multocida in mice. It also increased significantly the circulating antibody litre in indirect haemagglunation test. However, it did not show any significant effect on phagocytic index in carbon clearance assay and nor did influence the adhesion of neutrophils in the neutrophil adhesion test. Centchroman was also not effective in preventing the cyclophosphamde induced neutropenia. Hence, it was concluded that centchroman increases humoral immunity with no significant effect on cell mediated immunity.
Subject(s)
Animals , Antibody Formation/drug effects , Cell Adhesion , Centchroman/pharmacology , Contraceptives, Postcoital, Synthetic/pharmacology , Cyclophosphamide/pharmacology , Female , Hemagglutination Tests , Immunity, Cellular/drug effects , Immunoglobulins/blood , Mice , Neutrophils/drug effects , Phagocytosis/drug effects , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Subcutaneous administration of RMI 12,936 at a dose level of 2 mg/rat on day 5 of unilaterally pregnant rat having trauma-induced decidual cell reaction (DCR) in the contralateral uterine horn, suppresses DCR, induces resorption of implanted embryos and leads to decrease in the plasma level of progesterone. Progesterone replacement (D 5-8) in this situation reverses DCR suppressive effect of RMI 12,936 but fails to prevent resorption of implanted embryos. It is concluded that possibly the drug simultaneously exerts embryotoxic as well as luteolytic effects, but these effects are independent.