Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of Acorus tatarinowii extract on hyperprolactinemia in rats

Hong Zheng¹, Fu-tao Zhang², Hong-mei Tang⁵, Jin-zhao Zhao², Xian-jun Meng³, Wan-jing Sun⁴

¹Department of Reproductive Medicine; ²Department of Emergency Medicine; ³Department of Oncology; ⁴Department of Pharmacy, Dezhou People's Hospital, Dezhou 253014, Shandong; ⁵Department of Reproductive Medicine, Decheng Women and Children's Hospital, Decheng, Dezhou 253017, Shandong, China.

For correspondence:- Wan-jing Sun Email: sunwanjing133@163.com Tel:+865342265521

Accepted: 25 October 2019 Published: 30 November 2019

Citation: Zheng H, Zhang F, Tang H, Zhao J, Meng X, Sun W. Effect of Acorus tatarinowii extract on hyperprolactinemia in rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2019; 18(11):2411-2414 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v18i11.26

© 2019 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the mechanism underlying the anti-hyperprolactinemia effect of Acorus tatarinowii extract (ATE) in rats.

Methods: Rats were divided into six groups (n =10 each group), viz, healthy control, untreated hyperprolactinemic rats, hyperprolactinemic rats treated with bromocriptine (0.6 mg/kg), and hyperprolactinemic rats treated with ATE (3.2, 6.4, or 12.8 g/kg). After 30 days, the hypothalamic protein levels of dopamine D2 receptor, protein kinase A (PKA), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were determined.

Results: Dopamine D2 receptor levels were lower in untreated hyperprolactinemic rats than in healthy control (p < 0.01), but this decrease was attenuated by ATE (p < 0.05). Elevated PKA levels in untreated hyperprolactinemic rats (0.78 ± 0.03µg/mL, p < 0.01) were decreased by ATE (3.2 g/kg, 0.51 ± 0.02 µg/mL, p < 0.05; 6.4 g/kg, 0.39 ± 0.03 µg/mL, p < 0.01; 12.8 g/kg, 0.24 ± 0.04 µg/mL, p < 0.01). Similarly, elevated cAMP levels in hyperprolactinemic rats (3.1 ± 0.3 ng/mL) were lowered by ATE (3.2 g/kg, 2.2 ± 0.4 ng/mL, p < 0.05; 6.4 g/kg, 1.8 ± 0.3 ng/mL, p < 0.01; 12.8 g/kg, 1.4 ± 0.3 ng/mL, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: ATE anti-hyperprolactinemia activity is mediated by dopamine D2 receptor signaling via cAMP/PKA pathway.

Keywords: Hyperprolactinemia, Acorus tatarinowii, Dopamine D2 receptor, Bromocriptine, Cyclic adenosine monophosphate, Hypothalamic protein