Purpose: To investigate the anti-hyperprolactinemic activity of
Prunella vulgaris
L. extract (PVE)
in vivo
and
in vitro.
Methods: Rats were given intraperitoneal (i. p.) metoclopramide (MCP, 150 mg/kg daily) for 10 days to
prepare hyperprolactinemia (hyperPRL) model. Bromocriptine was used as positive control drug. High
(5.6 g/kg), medium (2.8 g/kg) and low (1.4 g/kg) doses of PVE were administered to hyperPRL rats. The
effect of PVE on serum prolactin (PRL), estradiol (E2), progesterone (PGN), follicle stimulating hormone
(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were investigated in the rats. MMQ cells derived from rat
pituitary adenoma cells and GH3 cells from rat pituitary lactotropictumoral cells were used for in vitro
experiments. The effect of PVE on PRL secretion were studied in MMQ cells and GH3 cells
respectively.
Results: Compared with the control group (446.21 ± 32.43 pg/mL), high (219.23 ± 10.62 pg/mL) and
medium (245.47 ± 13.52 pg/mL) reduced PRL level of hyperPRL rats significantly (p 0.05). In MMQ
cells, treatment with 5 mg/mL PVE or 10 mg/mL PVE) significantly suppressed PRL secretion and
synthesis at 24h compared with controls (p < 0.01). Consistent with D2- action, PVE did not affect PRL
in rat pituitary lactotropic tumor-derived GH3 cells that lack the D2 receptor expression, compared with
controls.
Conclusion: PVE showed anti-hyperPRL activity and can potentially be used for the treatment of
hyperprolactinemi, but further studies are required to ascertain this
