title: Effect on prolactin secretion of Echinacea purpurea, hypericum perforatum and Eleutherococcus senticosus.
abstract: It has been recently reported that prolactin (PRL) plays an important role in immune system regulation. In this study we investigated the activity of three natural drugs with immunomodulatory activity: Echinacea purpurea (EP), Hypericum perforatum (HP) and Eleutherococcus senticosus (ES) on PRL production. Male rats were orally treated with two different doses (30 and 100 mg/kg) of extract of these drugs for 3 or 15 days. A 3-day treatment was not able to modify PRL serum levels, whereas a 15-day treatment with EP and HP at the higher dose significantly inhibits PRL production. A treatment with ES was always ineffective. A possible mechanism for this effect could be that both HP and EP extracts display a direct dopaminergic activity, although an involvement of the GABA-ergic system cannot be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Pharmacology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy. dicarlo@unina.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pacilio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020900:Echinacea; D028001:Eleutherococcus; D020902:Hypericum; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011388:Prolactin