Studies on Action of Lithospermum Ruderale

Abstract

The effects of subcut. and oral admn. of an "80% alcohol precipitate" of aqueous lithosperm root extract, of U.S.P. tannin, and of 10% formalin, were studied in the male and female rat. Local reaction to their subcut. injn. was observed in all cases together with growth retardation, adrenal hypertrophy and thymus involution and accompanying sex organ atrophy or cessation of estrous. Lithosperm was equally effective in the normal and adrenalectomized rat in causing sex organ atrophy, thus indicating that its action is not mediated in any way through the adrenal gland. While U.S.P. tannin caused seminal vesicle and prostatic involution following its oral admn., both aqueous lithosperm extract and the "80% alcohol precipitate" were ineffective in the rat at the dose levels employed. Since some degree of nonspecific damage appeared to accompany subcut. admn. of these substances, a reduction in pituitary gonadotropin secretion resulting from the stress, was considered as a partial explanation of lithosperm activity under these conditions. However, lithosperm also contains substances giving characteristic chemical reactions for phlobotannins and it is suggested that the circulatory anti-gonadotropin activity of lithosperm and U.S.P. tannin could be due to the formation of large colloidal complexes thus impeding effective penetration of gonadotropins into target cells.