A study of hypericin-induced teratogenicity during organogenesis using a whole rat embryo culture model

Investigation of the embryotoxic and teratogenic effect of Hypericum perforatum in pregnant rats

Objective:

Hypericum perforatum (HP) is a herbal product used in the treatment of depression, but its harm on the fetus has not been established. This study investigated the effects of HP according to fetal clinical, morphologic, and histologic findings. Study design is an animal study.

Materials and Methods:

Fifty-four 4-5-month-old female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control, 100 mg/kg HP, and 300 mg/kg HP. HP treatment using drinking water was started one week before mating and ended with the delivery of pups.

Results:

HP exposure before conception diminished the pregnancy rate and decreased the fetal number; during pregnancy it tended to increase the duration of gestation, and deteriorated the fetal development as determined using body weight. It also damaged liver and kidney tissues, most probably due to oxidative stress, as supported through inducible nitric oxide synthase antibody staining findings at both doses.

Conclusion:

HP should not be recommended to women who would like to be pregnant or are pregnant because it can be harmful for both fetal and maternal health.

Teratogenic Effect of Usnic Acid from Cladonia substellata Vainio during Organogenesis

Studies about toxicological potential of usnic acid are limited. This way, the vast majority of data available in the literature are related only to biological activities. This is the first study that aimed to evaluate the oral toxicity of usnic acid during the period of organogenesis. Females rats were distributed in the control groups, treated I and II, at doses of 15 and 25 mg/kg, administered by gavage during the 6° to 15° days of pregnancy. After 20 days the fetuses were removed and analyzed. A reduction in weight gain during pregnancy, increased resorption, reduction in the number of viable fetuses, and their body weight were observed. Morphological changes in the litter were visualized as exposure of the eye and atrophy of the limbs at the dose of 25 mg/kg. Histological analysis of the liver of the fetus showed reduction in the number of megakaryocytes between experimental groups and increase in the number of hepatocytes in a dose of 25 mg/kg. The experimental model used in this study reveals teratogenic effect of usnic acid in the period of organogenesis. Since this achievement, the importance of evaluating the toxic effects of natural substances is imperative, in order to elucidate the care in their indication as drug.

Amended safety assessment of Hypericum perforatum-derived ingredients as used in cosmetics

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (Panel) has issued an amended safety assessment of 7 Hypericum perforatum-derived ingredients as used in cosmetics. A common name for this plant is St John wort. These ingredients function in cosmetics as skin-conditioning agents-miscellaneous and antimicrobial agents. The Panel reviewed relevant animal and human data related to the H perforatum-derived ingredients. Because formulators may use more than 1 botanical ingredient in a formulation, caution was urged to avoid levels of toxicological concern for constituent chemicals and impurities. The Panel concluded that H perforatum-derived ingredients were safe as cosmetic ingredients in the practices of use and concentration as described in this safety assessment.

Complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of depressive disorders in women

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are commonly practiced in the United States and are used more frequently among women than men. This article reviews several CAM treatments for depressive disorders in women, with a focus on major depressive disorder across the reproductive life cycle. The CAM therapies selected for this review (ie, S-adenosylmethionine, omega-3 fatty acids, St John's wort, bright light therapy, acupuncture, and exercise) were based on their prevalence of use and the availability of randomized, placebo-controlled data. Further study is necessary to delineate the role of specific CAM therapies in premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, antepartum and postpartum depression, lactation, and the menopausal transition.

Tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate increases 8-isoprostane level and induces caudal regression in developing rat embryos

Tea is the most common beverage after water. Concerns have been raised about the safety of tea during pregnancy, especially for embryo development. We aimed at studying the effects of active tea components on developing embryos by in vitro rat embryo culture. Rat embryos during early organogenesis were cultivated in serum supplemented with one of the tea catechins. Developmental hallmarks and malformations (Mal) in the developing embryos were compared and evaluated by a standard morphological scoring system. The embryotoxicity of each tea catechin was classified according to the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods. Cell viability was assessed by supervital dye staining, apoptosis by TUNEL assay, and peroxidation by the 8-isoprostane EIA method. We found that (+)-catechin had the least effect on developing embryos (Mal(50)=715.1 mg/L; IC50(Mal)=435 mg/L), whereas (-)-epigallocatechin gallate had the most adverse effect (Mal(50)=54.2 mg/L; IC50(Mal)=45.8 mg/L). The major malformation in affected embryos included caudal retardation with abnormal axial flexion and delayed hind-limb formation. All catechins were classified as nonembryotoxic except (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, which was classified as weakly embryotoxic. With (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, increased numbers of nonviable and apoptotic cells in the malformed embryos were associated with increased embryo 8-isoprostane.

Effect of rosiglitazone on embryonic growth and morphology: a study using a whole rat embryo culture model

The effects of various concentrations of rosiglitazone on in vitro rat embryo growth and morphology during the critical period of organogenesis was evaluated. We found that rosiglitazone has no significant effects on growth and morphology of in vitro early embryo development, even at very high concentrations.

St John's wort modulation and developmental expression of multidrug transporters in the rat

Extracts of St John's wort (SJW) (Hypericum perforatum) are a potent inducer of enzymes of the cytochrome P450 system and of the transport protein P-glycoprotein, and interactions with a range of commonly prescribed medications have been described. In addition, recent experimental data suggest that, this otherwise safe treatment, could have some side effects when consumed during pregnancy and lactation. The aim of this study was to investigate, in Wistar rats, the effect of a treatment with high doses of SJW extract (100 and 1000 mg/kg/day) administered prenatally and during breastfeeding, on the level of transcripts of mdr1a, mdr1b, mrp1, mrp2 and cyp3A2 genes. All transcripts were detected in the liver, and their level of expression increased from fetuses to adults. SJW administration, at both dosages, caused a significant decrease of the levels of mdr1a, mdr1b, mrp1 and mrp2 in the livers of fetuses, and an increase in the levels of mdr1a, mdr1b, mrp2 and cyp3A2 in the mothers. In the other organs examined, a physiological regulation during ontogenesis was also evident, but SJW administration did not modify the expression level of the considered transcripts. These data suggest that the administration of the extract together with drugs that are substrates of transport proteins could be particularly hazardous during pregnancy.

Toxicity and drug interactions associated with herbal products: ephedra and St. John's Wort

Health care providers are being increasingly confronted with the use of herbal medications by their patients. It is imperative that patients be questioned regarding herbal preparation use and that health care providers become familiar with these agents. Research into the active components and mechanisms of action of various herbals is ongoing [350]. Long-range studies need to be performed to follow patients for efficacy or toxicity in chronic use [351,352]. Adverse reactions to herbal remedies should be reported to the FDA MedWatch at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. As withany therapeutic agent, risk of use must always be weighed against potential benefits.

Development of pregnancy in rats treated withHypericum perforatum

St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a medicinal plant used in the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders. In the present paper, the toxicity of H. perforatum administered to female rats during the period of organogenesis (day 9-15 of pregnancy) was evaluated. Thirty inseminated Wistar rats were randomly distributed into control and treated groups, which received, by gavage, 0.5 mL of saline and 36 mg/kg body weight of Jarsin dried extract diluted into 0.5 mL of saline, respectively. Maternal toxicity was evaluated through: water and food intake, body weight gain, piloerection, locomotor activity, diarrhea and death occurrence. Animals were killed on day 21 of pregnancy, when fetuses and placentas were removed and weighed. The indices of implantation and resorption were calculated. Clinical signs of maternal toxicity were not observed and none of the variables analysed showed statistically significant differences. In the dose administered in the experimental model used, H. perforatum does not seem to be toxic to the mother nor to interfere with the progress of gestation during organogenesis.