Study of anti-fertility effect of lemon seeds (Citrus limonum) in female albino mice.

Among the citrus species, Citrus-limonum is native of North West region of India. The petroleum ether, alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Citrus-limonum (lemon) seeds were investigated for anti-fertility effect in female albino mice. The extracts were administered orally for 7 days after insemination (i.e. post-ovulatory test). The control group received 4% gum acacia. The animals were examined for implantation sites on 10th day of pregnancy and the number of pups delivered at term for each group was recorded. The alcoholic extract showed significant anti-fertility effect as compared to petroleum ether and aqueous extracts. The alcoholic extract was subjected for fractionation and the fractions were again tested for their anti-fertility effect. The fraction of ethyl-acetate (12-25 fractions) showed most encouraging anti-fertility activity. In second part of the study, the alcoholic extract and its ethyl-acetate fraction (12-25 fractions) were subjected to evaluation of their mechanism of action and it was found that their principal mode of action is as an anti-zygotic agent. Withdrawal of the test drug, resulted in complete restoration of fertility. Thus the ethyl-acetate fraction (12-25 fractions) of alcoholic extract of lemon seeds exerted reversible anti-fertility effect in female mice by virtue of its anti-zygotic action.

Active immunization against riboflavin carrier protein results in peri-implantation embryonic loss leading to pregnancy termination in rats: use of alternate adjuvants.

To investigate the mechanism of pregnancy termination following immuno-neutralization of riboflavin carrier protein (RCP) and to use acceptable adjuvants, we actively immunized female rats with reduced and carboxymethylated RCP (RCM-RCP) using various adjuvants (during primary immunization) such as sodium phthalylated lipopolysaccharide (SPLPS), purified S. typhi outer membrane proteins (porins) and a combination of them. Rats (5-14 per group) were immunized with alugel adsorbed RCM-RCP (100 microg/dose) either alone or with SPLPS or porins or SPLPS+porins. Control animals received RCM-RCP emulsified with Fruend's completelincomplete adjuvants (FCA/FIA). All animals received five boosters at intervals of 21 days. The lowest (4 X 10(-3)) and the highest (> 70 X 10(-3)) anti-RCM-RCP antibody titers were observed in alugel adsorbed-RCM-RCP group and control groups, respectively. Immunized animals showed reduced fertility following 3rd, 4th and 5th boosters. Reduction in fertility was 30-60% in alugel adsorbed RCM-RCP group, 90-100% in FCA-RCM-RCP group and 80-90% in SPLPS+porins group. Fertility reduction was not strictly correlatable with the serum antibody titers. RCP-specific IgG could be localized in the uterine endometrial glands and luminal epithelial cells in the immunized animals. Animals in the FCA/FIA group showed abnormal implantation/resorption sites and their histological sections showed degenerated embryos. But, day 5 preimplantation embryos were normal. These results show that (a) SPLPS+porins can be used as adjuvants in place of FCA/FIA for active immunization against RCM-RCP and (b) early termination of pregnancy in the immunized animals is due largely to the failure of normal embryo implantation.

Uso do Misoprostol em ginecologia e obstetrícia / Misoprostol use in ginecology and obstetrics

Revisäo prática e atualizada sobre o uso do misoprostol em ginecologia e obstetrícia.

Efecto abortivo, aislamiento e identificación de principios activos de Alnus acuminata / Abortive effect, isolation and identification of actives principes of Alnus acuminata

Se aislaron tres sustancias puras de la fracción clorofórmica del extracto alcohólico de las hojas de Alnus acuminata, que fueron identificados por métodos espectroscópicos como Olean-13(18)-en-ona; 5-hidroxi-4,ï7-dimetoxiflavona y un alcohol alifático cuya estructura química esta en estudio. El estudio farmacológico mostró un efecto abortivo alto (80-100 por ciento) en ratones hembras preñadas. El estudio histopatológico mostró cambios significativos en las células del útero tanto a nivel del trofoblasto como del endotelio vascular

Termination of pregnancy in mice following antiserum administration to modified chicken riboflavin carrier protein.

Rabbit antibodies to native riboflavin carrier protein (RCP), are to a large extent directed towards conformational epitopes and antibodies to disulphide bond reduced carboxymethylated RCP (RCM-RCP) are towards sequential epitopes. The major cyanogen bromide (CNBr) fragments and tryptic fragments of RCM-RCP interact with both antiserum to RCM-RCP and RCP. Passive immunization of pregnant mice with antibodies to RCM-RCP results in bioneutralization, leading to termination of pregnancy. Recently, a major tryptic fragment of RCM-RCP (24 +/- 2 kd) which could assume conformation at the antibody combining site of native RCP, obtained following mild trypsinization has been identified [Natraj et al. J. Biosci, 15 (1990) 341]. Rabbit antibodies to RCM-RCP treated with trypsin generated antibodies of low titer which interacted with RCM-RCP as well as RCP. The interaction of this antibody with RCP was of high affinity and could be displaced with RCP. The bioneutralizing ability of the antibody was demonstrated by its ability to cause termination of pregnancy in mice.

Efeito biológico de extratos das folhas de Petiveria alliacea na gestaçäo de ratas / Biological effect of the Petiveria alliacea leaft extract on rat pregnancy

A Petiveria alliacea L. (Fitolacacea) é considerada como abortiva pela populaçäo nativa e como anticoncepcional pelos índios caritianos de Rondônia. Extratos aquosos demonstraram efeito abortivo em ratas. Neste trabalho estuda-se o efeto interceptivo de diferentes extratos, administrados no 3§ ou no 5§ dia de gestaçäo da rata (espermatozóide no esfregaço vaginal = dia 1 de gestaçäo). Os animais foram injetados com diferentes doses e diferentes extratos e foram sacrificados no 14§ dia de gestaçäo . Os cornos uterinos foram examinados para observaçäo e contagem de implantes viáveis e reabsorçöes. Ovários foram removidos para observaçäo e contagem dos corpos lúteos. Os resultados mostram que o extratos hidroalcoólico (18 mg) de P, illiacea possui efeito zigotóxico e a fraçäo solúvel em água (20 mg) efeito abortivo

The immunomodulatory and antitumor activities of trichosanthin-an abortifacient protein isolated from tian-hua-fen (Trichosanthes kirilowii).

Trichosanthin, a basic protein purified from the root tuber of Trichosanthes kirilowii, has been used effectively in China to induce midterm abortion in humans. In this paper, we show that trichosanthin at non-cytotoxic concentrations markedly inhibited the mitogen-induced lymphoproliferative response and the generation of a primary alloreactive CTL response in vitro. Similarly, the production of IL-2 by Con A activated splenocytes and the in vitro effector functions of macrophages were also significantly suppressed. In contrast, the cytolytic activity of CTL and NK cells was unimpaired. Moreover, the in vivo activation of NK cells was not significantly altered by a single injection of a non-toxic microgram amount of trichosanthin into mice. However, other immune reactivities such as the induction of a DTH response and the humoral antibody formation to SRBC were markedly depressed. Our data suggest that trichosanthin is a potent immunosuppressive protein that could affect humoral immunity and a variety of cell-mediated processes. In addition, our preliminary results show that this abortifacient protein could also inhibit the growth of a murine malignant tumour (MBL-2), both in vivo and in vitro.