The Effects Of Puerarin On Mouse Mammary Development And Its Activation Mechanism

Puerarin is a main active component of Pueraria Isoflavone from Kudzu Vine group plants in Pulse Family, and chemical name is 4/, 7-dioxy-8-β-D-gluco-aldehyde Isoflavone. Although many researchers has been studied the pharmacological effects of puerarin on various organ, but their effect on the mammary gland development not yet at now. Therefore, for providing the new experiment basis to effectively use the puerarin, especially develops the new method and way for treatment of obstetrics disease, investigated the effects of puerarin on the mammary gland development and their mechanism in the present study.1. Effects of Puerarin on the mouse body weight, the mammary gland growth and milk secretionIn this experiment, effects of different dosage puerarin on female mouse body weight, mammary gland growth and quantity of milk secretion were clarified using pharmacological and histological methods, and evaluated the effects of puerarin on the normal mouse mammary gland development and milk secretion. The results showed that puerarin significantly promoted the numbers of mammary gland duct in mouse (P<0.01); Puerarin showed promotive effect on the mouse mammary gland essence growth. In addition to, although puerarin increased the young mouse body weight, but it is not statistical significant that compared with control group (P>0.05); Puerarin also showed a tendency of increasing effect on milk secretion.2. Effects of puerarin on hormones content in blood serumIn this experiment, the regulatory effects of puerarin on hormones content in normal mouse blood serum were demonstrated by radio immunity method. The results showed that puerarin not change estradiol, progesterone and prolactin content (P>0.05), but significantly increased the growth hormone content (P<0.01) in mouse blood serum. These results suggest increasing effects of growth hormone level in the blood serum is one of mechanism of promotion effect of puerarin on the mammary gland development. 3. Effects of puerarin on ovariectomized mouse mammary gland and hormone contentIn this experiment, the effects of puerarin, stilboestrol and progesterone on mammary gland development and blood serum hormones content in ovariectomized mouse were investigated using histological and radioimmunity methods.In ovariectomized mouse, mammary gland, as an ovary hormones target organ, its growth was stopped. The estrogen and progesterone levels were reduced in blood serum (P<0.05), but the growth hormone content was increased (P<0.05) in ovariectomized mouse;After oral administration of stilboestrol and progesterone, mammary gland was developed again. Although the promotive effect of puerarin on mammary gland development was failed in ovariectomized mouse, but ovary excision caused increasing of growth hormone was suppressed by puerarin. These results suggest that puerarin not play an estrogen-like-role on the mammary gland, but play a regulatory effect on blood serum growth hormone level.4. Effects of puerarin on estrogen and progesterone receptors gene expression in mammary glandIn this experiment, the effects of puerarin on expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors gene in mouse mammary gland clarified by real time PCR. Puerarin markedly increased expression of estrogen receptor mRNA in mouse mammary gland that compared with control group (p<0.05), but progesterone receptor gene unaffected (p> 0.05). These results indicate that increasing of estrogen receptor gene expression in mammary gland is one of mechanism of promotion effect of puerarin on the mammary gland development.Conclusion:1. Puerarin shown a tendency of increasing effect on adolescent mice body weight, especially it is significant on ovariectomized mice body weight.2. Puerarin promoted the mouse mammary gland duct growth in normal mice, but not in ovariectomized mice.3. Puerarin significantly increased the normal mouse blood serum growth hormone level. In contrast, Puerarin reduced the high growth hormone level that caused by ovary excision. 4. Puerarin significatly increased expression of estrogen receptor gene in mouse mammary gland.