A NATURALLY-OCCURRING PLANT-COMPOUND, 6-METHOXYBENZOXAZOLINONE, STIMULATES REPRODUCTIVE RESPONSES IN RATS

A nonestrogenic component of young, rapidly growing plants, 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA), was examined to determine its effect on the reproductive responses of prepubertal and mature female rats. Prepubertal animals treated with a single injection of 6-MBOA or with Silastic capsules implanted for 3 days showed a significant increase in ovarian and uterine wt. Serum luteinizing hormone was unaffected by 6-MBOA treatment for 3 days in 32-day-old animals; serum FSH was elevated. Silastic capsule treatment of mature animals showed the following results. Extended treatment for 6-estrus cycles had no influence on the timing of vaginal cyclicity; despite this, 6-MBOA treatment for 2 cycles caused an increase in ovarian wt resulting from an increase in the number of corpora lutea/ovary. Animals treated for 1 cycle showed a significant increase in the number of ova shed. Uterine wt in mature animals did not increase. 6-MBOA evidently has a stimulatory effect on the reproductive system of young and mature female rats. It is the 1st attempt to relate the effect of the compound on the endocrine system of any animal. That nonestrogenic plant compounds can trigger reproduction an has important ecologic and physiologic significance.