Chan W Y, Tam P P, Choi H L, Ng T B, Yeung H W
Contraception. 1986 Nov;34(5):537-44. doi: 10.1016/0010-7824(86)90062-4.
Previous studies showed that the two forms of momorcharins which are isolated from seeds of Momordica charantia L. are effective in inducing early and midterm abortions in the mouse. Momorcharins were found to be teratogenic to the cultured mouse embryos at the early organogenesis stage. Morphological abnormalities were seen in the head, trunk and limbs. Ultrastructural studies on the visceral yolk sac of the momorcharin-treated embryos showed that the endodermal layer was deranged, membrane invaginations at the apical surface were decreased and intercellular space became distended. It is likely that the teratogenic action of momorcharins on mouse embryos in vitro is mediated through the deleterious effects on the visceral yolk sac, which functions as a vital transport organ for the conceptus at the immediate post-implantation period.
先前的研究表明，从苦瓜种子中分离出的两种苦瓜素对诱导小鼠早期和中期流产有效。已发现苦瓜素在器官发生早期阶段对培养的小鼠胚胎具有致畸性。在头部、躯干和四肢观察到形态异常。对经苦瓜素处理的胚胎的内脏卵黄囊进行的超微结构研究表明，内胚层紊乱，顶端表面的膜内陷减少，细胞间隙扩大。苦瓜素对体外小鼠胚胎的致畸作用可能是通过对内脏卵黄囊的有害影响介导的，内脏卵黄囊在植入后立即作为胚胎的重要转运器官发挥作用。
