TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of intrauterine injection of casein on fetal survival in rat
T2 - a new pharmacological approach for contraception
AU - Halperin, Reuvit
AU - Shinnar, Nili
AU - Kronfeld-Schor, Noga
AU - Hadas, Eran
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - Background: The incidental finding of casein as a possible new local pharmacological contraceptive prompted us to assess its validity in an experimental rat model. Methods: The intrauterine injection of 150 μg of bovine α-casein dissolved in 150 μL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was performed on one uterine rat horn on days L5-L7, whereas the contralateral horn was used for injection of 150 μL PBS as a control. Intraperitoneal injection of α-casein (5 mg/mL, 2 mL/rat) was performed on day L5. The rats were killed by cervical dislocation on the day L14. Results: The effect of an α-casein on fetal resorption rate was assessed following the unilateral injection of 150 μL of α-casein (1 mg/mL in PBS) and compared with the effect obtained following the contralateral injection of 150 μL PBS. The unilateral injection of α-casein on day L5 caused a significant increase in fetal resorption rate as compared with the contralateral uterine horn injected with PBS (p<.00001). The decrease in α-casein concentration from 1 to 0.3 mg/mL caused a reduced, but still significant, effect on fetal resorption rate (p<.0001). The injection on days L6-L7 caused a local effect of resorption near the injection site. There was no effect on fetal resorption rate following the injection of α-casein intraperitoneally. Conclusion: Our data suggest a new pharmacological approach for contraception, based on local intrauterine effect of α-casein in an experimental rat model. The exact mechanism of action related to casein should be further studied.
AB - Background: The incidental finding of casein as a possible new local pharmacological contraceptive prompted us to assess its validity in an experimental rat model. Methods: The intrauterine injection of 150 μg of bovine α-casein dissolved in 150 μL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was performed on one uterine rat horn on days L5-L7, whereas the contralateral horn was used for injection of 150 μL PBS as a control. Intraperitoneal injection of α-casein (5 mg/mL, 2 mL/rat) was performed on day L5. The rats were killed by cervical dislocation on the day L14. Results: The effect of an α-casein on fetal resorption rate was assessed following the unilateral injection of 150 μL of α-casein (1 mg/mL in PBS) and compared with the effect obtained following the contralateral injection of 150 μL PBS. The unilateral injection of α-casein on day L5 caused a significant increase in fetal resorption rate as compared with the contralateral uterine horn injected with PBS (p<.00001). The decrease in α-casein concentration from 1 to 0.3 mg/mL caused a reduced, but still significant, effect on fetal resorption rate (p<.0001). The injection on days L6-L7 caused a local effect of resorption near the injection site. There was no effect on fetal resorption rate following the injection of α-casein intraperitoneally. Conclusion: Our data suggest a new pharmacological approach for contraception, based on local intrauterine effect of α-casein in an experimental rat model. The exact mechanism of action related to casein should be further studied.
KW - Casein
KW - Experimental rat model
KW - Fetal resorption rate
KW - Intrauterine injection
KW - Local contraceptive effect
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33646881038&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.contraception.2005.11.002
DO - 10.1016/j.contraception.2005.11.002
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C2 - 16730499
AN - SCOPUS:33646881038
SN - 0010-7824
VL - 73
SP - 641
EP - 644
JO - Contraception
JF - Contraception
IS - 6
ER -