INHIBITION OF ANTERIOR PITUITARY GONADOTROPINS AND OXYTOCIN BY EXTRACTS OFLITHOSPERMUM RUDER ALE1

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Abstract
In vitro and in vivo assays of spray-dried and lyophilized cold water extracts of overground plant material and of rhizomes of L. ruderale are reported. The weight increase in chick testes was used as the end-point for LH and FSH assays and the depression of blood pressure in fowl was employed to measure oxytocin activity. The activity of both anterior pituitary LH and of oxytocin was inhibited after in vitro mixture for 1 or 2 hours at room temperature with lithosperm. The data suggest, however, that different substances may inhibit the 2 hormones. Rhizome extracts were consistently more potent than the overground plant preparations. In vivo inactivation of LH and FSH also was observed in cockerels when the hormone and lithosperm were administered subcutaneously at different sites. More lithosperm was needed to inhibit FSH action than that of LH. Rhizome extracts also were more potent in vivo than were the overground plant extracts. Extracts which were stored for several months retain inhibitory activity in both in vitro and in vivo assays. A total of 2358 cockerels was used in the various gonadotropin assays.