Observations on the ultrastructure of a rat mammary gland treated with harmal and borage

Background : It had been indentified by histological, histochemical and morphometrical studies that peganum harmala is a mammogenic herb and borage officinalis is a lactogenic one . To complete our investigation about these two herbs , we performed electron microscopical study. Materials and methods...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Malak A. Al- Yawer, Wasan Al- Saidi, Shatha M. Al-Faisaly, Salim R. Hamoudi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: College of Medicine University of Baghdad 2007-04-01
Series:مجلة كلية الطب
Subjects:
Online Access:http://iqjmc.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/19JFacMedBaghdad36/article/view/1441
Description
Summary:Background : It had been indentified by histological, histochemical and morphometrical studies that peganum harmala is a mammogenic herb and borage officinalis is a lactogenic one . To complete our investigation about these two herbs , we performed electron microscopical study. Materials and methods : Rats were grouped according to their physiological status into three groups . Each group was subdivided in to three subgroups : one control and two experimental . The two experimental group were treated daily; the 1st one with an aqueous extract of peganum harmala seeds and the 2nd with an aqueous extract of borage officinalis flowers . After two weeks of treatment , mammary glands were employed for electron microscopical study. Results : In virgin rats , the epithelial and myoepithelial cells were partially differentiated when harmal was given and completely differentiated when borage was given . In pregnant rats , harmal and borage optimize mammary parenchymal growth and induce lactation when these herbs were given. In lactating rats ,these herbs exhibited a picture similar to control lactating group but the budding of lipid droplets and the swelling of secretary vesicles were markedly increased. Conclusion: Both harmal and borage stimulate the release of prolactin and induce galactogenesis during pregnancy and promote it during lactation .
ISSN:0041-9419
2410-8057