Discrimination between the functional and biochemical effects of two herbal oxytocics on the rat myometrium

This study on the rat myometrium is the first report where the effects of herbal extracts used as oxytocics in traditional medicine have been systematically analysed in the same preparation at the level of functional (contractile) and biochemical (second messenger generation) responses. Extracts of Agapanthus africanus and Clivia miniata (used in South African traditional medicine) were compared with other uterotonic agents with regard to their ability to stimulate phosphoinositide metabolism in the rat myometrium and cause accumulation of [3H]inositol phosphates. The maximal contractile response of the isolated rat myometrium in response to stimulation by the herbal extracts and agonists was compared with the maximal contractile response to cumulative addition of acetylcholine. The rank order of intensity of stimulation of [3H]inositol phosphate generation was: oxytocin > Agapanthus > prostaglandin F2alpha(PGF2alpha) > serotonin > acetylcholine > Clivia > ergometrine. This differed from the rank order of maximum contractile response: oxytocin > acetylcholine > PGF2alpha > serotonin approximately Clivia > Agapanthus > ergometrine. Activity was also identified in chemical fractions of the plants and components common to both plants have been identified in the isolated active fractions. These results have identified that the uterotonic activity of Agapanthus is linked to increased turnover of phosphoinositides as a signal transduction mechanism, whereas this appears to play a less significant role in the uterotonic activity of Clivia. This study illustrates the benefits of using the measurement of stimulation of phosphoinositide metabolism as a bioassay in phytomedical research.