[Estrogenic Activities of Alcohol Extract from Phellinus lonicerinus]

To investigate the estrogenic activities of alcohol extract from Phellinus lonicerinus( AEPL).

Estrogen and anti-estrogen effects were evaluated by cell proliferation experiment in vitro. Through elevating young rat uterine weight, castrated female rats, and adult female rats uterus index serum estradiol( E2) and progesterone( P) were analyzed by enzyme immune methods, and uterine estrogen receptor α( ERα) and estrogen receptor β( ERβ) protein expressions were measeured by immunohistochemisty, and investigated the histopathological of uterus, ovary, and breast of adult female rats.

Compared with the control group, AEPL promoted estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 proliferation significantly( P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01) in the doses of 5 ~ 50 μg / m L in vitro experiment; compared with the E2 control group, it also presented anti-estrogenic effect in E2-induced MCF-7 cells at the doses of 10 ~ 100 μg / m L( P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01). In the animal experiments, AEPL remarkably increased serum E2 content and promoted growth of uterus in primary female mice at the dose of 300 mg / kg; and raised the serum E2 and P content, alleviated uterine atrophy caused by estrogen deficiency in castrated rats at the dose of 240 mg / kg. In adult female rats, AEPL markedly increased the serum P content at the dose of 120 mg / kg, and also markedly increased the serum E2 content at the dose of 120,240 mg / kg, and regulated the protein expressions of ERαand ERβ. AEPL has no effects on histopathological changes of uterus, ovary and mammary gland in rats.

AEPL shows estrogenic effects with fewer adverse reaction, which possesses the replacement of estrogen application prospects.