Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Derived from Tropaeolum majus L. in Rat Preimplantation Embryos: Evidence for the Dehydroepiandrosterone and Estradiol Role.
Although several studies have shown the inhibitory effects of Tropaeolum majus extracts (HETM) on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, no studies have been carried out during the beginning of pregnancy, when humoral and hormonal imbalance may affect zygote and early embryo transport. This study investigates whether HETM can affect embryonic development when administered during the one-cell-blastocyst period. Pregnant Wistar rats received orally the HETM (3, 30, and 300 mg/kg/day) from the 1st to the 7th gestational day. Rats were killed on the 8th day of pregnancy and the following parameters were evaluated: clinical symptoms of toxicity (including organ weights), number of corpora lutea, implants per group, preimplantation losses ratio, and the serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), estradiol, and progesterone. No clinical symptoms of maternal toxicity were evidenced. On the 8th day of pregnancy, the levels of DHEA and estradiol were increased and significant preimplantation losses were observed at all doses used. The present study reveals that the HETM can raise levels of DHEA and estradiol and induce difficulty in the embryo implantation in the early stages of pregnancy. The data contributes significantly to the safety aspects of using this natural product when trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy.
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Médicas e da Saúde, Universidade Paranaense, P.O. Box 224, 87502-210 Umuarama, PR, Brazil ; Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Emerson Luiz
EL
Botelho Lourenço
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Juliane Centeno
JC
Muller
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Ana Claudia
AC
Boareto
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Caroline
0000-0003-0448-1318
C
Gomes
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Ana Carolina
AC
Lourenço
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Médicas e da Saúde, Universidade Paranaense, P.O. Box 224, 87502-210 Umuarama, PR, Brazil.
Rhanany Alan
RA
Calloi Palozi
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Médicas e da Saúde, Universidade Paranaense, P.O. Box 224, 87502-210 Umuarama, PR, Brazil.
Thiago Bruno
TB
Lima Prando
Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Médicas e da Saúde, Universidade Paranaense, P.O. Box 224, 87502-210 Umuarama, PR, Brazil ; Laboratório de Farmacologia e Toxicologia de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Paranaense, P.O. Box 224, 87502-210 Umuarama, PR, Brazil.
Arquimedes
0000-0003-3433-5098
A
Gasparotto Junior
Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, P.O. Box 19031, 81531-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
Paulo Roberto
PR
Dalsenter