Changes in uterine phosphatase levels in mice treated with aristolic acid during early pregnancy.

Aristolic acid (AA) exerted interceptive activity in mice. A single oral dose of aristolic acid at the dose levels of 120 and 90 mg/kg on Day 1 or Day 6 of pregnancy in mouse resulted in a rise of acid phosphatase (AP) and fall of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and protein in uterus in both groups. Both delta 5-3 beta-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase (delta 5-3 beta-HSD) and glucose 6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) of ovaries remained unaltered. Exogenous progesterone (1 mg s.c., Days 5-8) administered along with aristolic acid (on Day 6 only) could neither protect pregnancy nor prevent the biochemical changes produced in the uterus due to drug treatment. This unaltered steroidogenesis and alteration in alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and protein gives some insight into the mechanism of action of the compound aristolic acid.