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

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. Rats were grouped according to their physiological status into three groups. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups: one control and two experimental. The two experimental groups were treated daily; the 1[st] one with an aqueous extract of peganum harmala seeds and the 2[nd] with an aqueous extract of borage officinalis flowers. After two weeks of treatment, mammary glands were employed for electron microscopical study. 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. Both harmal and borage stimulate the release of prolactin and induce galactogenesis during pregnancy and promote it during lactation