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

Abstract EN

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 .