Trichosanthin as an abortifacient for terminating early pregnancy in mice.
OBJECTIVE
To test trichosanthin--a basic protein from Trichosanthes kirilowii--as abortifacient, and effect on subsequent pregnancy.


METHODS
Female mice, on day 1, 2, or 3 of pregnancy, given 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, or 0.25 mg/25 g body wt., intraperitoneally. Animals killed on day 11 for assessment of abortion, or day 4 for examination of embryos. Subsequent pregnancy was tested after 20 days in mice that had aborted completely.


RESULTS
With 0.20-0.25 mg/25 g, 64-80% aborted. At day 4, pre-implantation development was disturbed, many still being morulae (in the oviduct). Subsequent pregnancies and offspring were entirely normal.


CONCLUSIONS
Trichosanthin, long used to effect abortion in humans in China, has congruent effects on ICR laboratory mice.
Chan
W Y
WY
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Ng
T B
TB
Yeung
H W
HW
D000032:Abortion, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015978:Trichosanthin / Q000008:administration & dosage
D015978:Trichosanthin