Promising effects of purslane cream on the breast fissure in lactating women: A clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: The traditional uses of Portulaca oleracea L. (purslane) with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity as well as anti-oxidants properties were expressed previously. This is a double-blind randomized clinical trial to evaluate the protective effects of purslane cream on the nipple fissure. METHODS: After expressing the goals and methods of the study and obtaining written consent from 86 lactating women with nipple fissure, they were randomly divided into two groups: 43 in purslane cream group and 43 in lanolin ointment group. The score of nipple fissure before the intervention and on the third and eighth day after the study was measured using the Stour scale. RESULTS: The mean score of left and right breast fissures in the group of treatment with lanolin group similar to the group of treatment with purslane cream showed a significant decrease at the third day and eighth day (P=0.001). Mann-Whitney test comparing mean score of the fissure between two groups showed that two groups were homogeneous before the intervention, but there was a significant difference between two groups on the third and eighth days (p < 0.001). The recovery process occurred faster in the group of treatment with purslane cream. CONCLUSION: We showed that the use of purslane cream without any complications could accelerate the repairing of nipple fissure. Based on this clinical trial, purslane cream (2% w/w) can be used as an accelerator for improving the nipple fissure in lactating women.

Chemoprevention of Breast Cancer by Transdermal Delivery of α-Santalol through Breast Skin and Mammary Papilla (Nipple).

PURPOSE: Almost all breast cancers originate from epithelial cells lining the milk ducts in the breast. To this end, the study investigated the feasibility of localized transdermal delivery of α-santalol, a natural chemopreventive agent to the breast. METHODS: Different α-santalol formulations (cream, solution and microemulsion) were developed and the in vitro permeability was studied using excised animal (porcine and rat) and human breast skin/mammary papilla (nipple). The in vivo biodistribution and efficacy studies were conducted in female rats. A chemical carcinogenesis model of breast cancer was used for the efficacy studies. RESULTS: Phospholipid based α-santalol microemulsion showed the highest penetration through the nipple and breast skin. Delivery of α-santalol through the entire breast (breast skin and nipple) in vivo in rats resulted in significantly higher concentration in the mammary gland compared to transdermal delivery through the breast skin or nipple. There was no measurable α-santalol concentration in the blood. Transdermal delivery of α-santalol reduced the tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity. Furthermore, the tumor size was significantly reduced with α-santalol treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study demonstrate the feasibility of localized transdermal delivery of α-santalol for chemoprevention of breast cancer.

Efficacy of Topical Application of Emu Oil on Areola Skin Barrier in Breastfeeding Women.

Appropriate hydration and skin surface pH are of fundamental importance in preventing areola skin barrier damage and breastfeeding success. We studied the dermal effects of emu oil on areola skin soon after birth in 70 at-term breastfeeding mothers by noninvasive bioengineering method. Emu oil-based cream was found to be effective in improving stratum corneum hydration of breast areolae (mean ± standard deviation, from 56.9 ± 18.2 to 65.0 ± 17.2 conventional units, P < .003) and did not affect skin pH, temperature, or elasticity. The significant improvement in hydration values was more pronounced in the puerperae presenting with basal hydration in the lower quartiles (mean ± standard deviation, from 41.6 ± 17.2 to 59.6 ± 21.2 conventional units, P < .001). Further studies are warranted to confirm the long-term beneficial effects of this preparation in a very sensitive patient population.

Endocrine traits of polycystic ovary syndrome in prenatally androgenized female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Although hyperandrogenism is an important condition and is considered the possible pathogenesis behind polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), data supporting this is still scarce. We sought to determine whether or not prenatal androgen exposure leads to PCOS and the possible cellular mechanisms involved. To induce prenatal androgen exposure, pregnant rats were treated with daily subcutaneous injections of free testosterone (T) or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) from embryonic days 16 to 19, and their female offspring were studied as adults. The mRNA expression of the progesterone receptor (PR) in the preoptic area (POA) hypothalamus was higher in the experimental groups than in the control group after ovariectomy and stimulation with estradiol benzoate. The levels of T, P, leutinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol were higher in the experimental groups than in the control groups. The frequency and magnitude of LH secretion was increased in experimental rats as compared with the control group. The anogenital distance of the experimental groups was prolonged and the nipple number was lower than that of the control group. Almost all experimental rats had prolonged or irregular estrous cycles. The experimental groups had fewer corpus luteum and preovulatory follicles and more preantral follicles and antral follicles than the controls. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that excess androgen during the prenatal period may cause PCOS. Additionally, we show that hyperandrogenic interference in the release of preovulatory LH surges is mediated by the suppressive effects of androgens on PR expression in POA-hypothalamic tissue.

Sympathetic innervation of mammary glands mediates suckling-induced reflex inhibition of milk yield in rats.

Previous work has shown that physiologic activation of the sympathetic system may inhibit milk yield (ME) in rats. Thus, adrenal catecholamines (CAs) are released by suckling, but it is not known whether such inhibition results also from reflex activation by the same stimulus of neural sympathetics upon the mammary gland. The present experiments were designed to determine whether suckling inhibits ME induced by oxytocin (OT) in the urethane-anesthetized lactating rat, and whether such inhibition results from adrenal and/or neurally released CAs. Rats were isolated (6 h) from their pups and then anesthetized. OT (0.8 mU every 2 min) was administered intravenously to the mothers during suckling. Rats were either chronically implanted with cannulae into the lateral cerebral ventricles (intracerebroventricularly), bilaterally adrenalectomized (ADX), hypophysectomized (HX), spinal cord transected (SCT: T3-T4), or had the nipple area (NA) locally anesthetized before suckling. MEs were low in control, sham, ADX and HX rats, but not in rats given the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol (PROP; intravenously or intracerebroventricularly injected), nor in SCT, NA or PROP-HX rats. As revealed by ductal resistance measurements as an indicator of ductal tone, suckling-induced inhibition of ME was due to ductal constriction within the mammary glands. These effects of suckling, however, could be prevented by prior activation of ductal mechanoreceptors. Together, these results indicate that suckling inhibits ME through the reflex activation of neurally mediated central beta-adrenergic mechanisms, and that these effects, in turn, can be regulated by ductal mechanoreceptor activation.

Hydroalcoholic human placental extract: skin pigmenting activity and gross chemical composition.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a pigmentary disorder of the skin of unknown etiology. It is thought to be of autoimmune origin after demonstration of antibody-mediated destruction of melanocytes. Photochemotherapeutic PUVA therapy is widely used in vitiligo with about 33% success. Aqueous or hydroalcoholic extracts of human placenta of ill-defined composition have also been used therapeutically for vitiligo. A hydroalcoholic human placental extract has been developed by us with pigmenting activity based on experimental therapies. Its chemical analysis was the primary objective of this study. METHODS: For the guinea pig experiment, 20 drops of the extract or vehicle (60% alcohol) as control was topically applied around the nipples covering the areola zones of male immature white guinea pigs (wt. 175-250 g) daily for 60 days with 15 minutes infrared (IR) exposure used for vascular dilatation and enhancement of the absorption of the extract. Standard methods have been followed for all chemical analyses. RESULTS: The guinea pig experiment showed clear pigmentation and hypertrophy of the experimental nipples to varying degrees. Chemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of small-molecular-weight proteins/peptides, lipids (including glycosphingolipids), carbohydrates, sialic acids, cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins (HDL), and others, including amino acids, nucleotides, carotenes, vitamins, etc. CONCLUSION: Glycosphingolipids, known modulators of B and T cells, were reported capable of inducing adhesion, spreading, and motility of melanoma. It is present in the extract and, therefore, may lead to skin pigmentation through induction of melanocytes. Endothelin, a 21-amino acid peptide, detected in human placenta and possibly extractable by our process, has been reported to be indispensable for melanocyte growth.

The effects of neonatal capsaicin treatment on the sensory innervation of the nipple and on the milk ejection reflex in the rat.

Much of the sensory innervation of the nipple is provided by fibers of small calibre (A delta and C). In order to determine the contribution of unmyelinated C-fibers to this innervation and to the physiology of lactation, mammary afferents were studied in rats that had succeeded in lactating after neonatal treatment with capsaicin, a neurotoxin which selectively destroys C-fibers. After subcutaneous injection of horseradish peroxidase-wheat germ agglutinin (HRP-WGA) into the nipple of capsaicin-treated lactating rats, cell counts and surface area estimates of peroxidase-labelled and unlabelled cells were made in the corresponding dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and compared to values obtained in untreated lactating females that had received similar tracer injections. The segmental distribution of HRP-labelled primary sensory neurons in the capsaicin-treated rats was similar to that in untreated controls, but the number of labelled cells was significantly reduced at each segmental level. This reduction reflected a marked decrease in C-fibers, since there was a striking reduction in the number of small HRP-labelled and unlabelled cell bodies in the DRG and unmyelinated fibers in the dorsal roots. Peroxidase labelling within the dorsal horn of capsaicin-treated rats was also substantially diminished. About 40% of the females that had been treated neonatally with capsaicin gave birth and lactated. Although the average weight gain of their litters was retarded with respect to that of litters of untreated controls, the milk ejection reflex appeared to function normally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)