in Mature Ovariectomized Rats

SUMMARY. D-004, a lipid extract from royal palm (Roystonea regia) fruits, has shown to inhibit prostate 5-α-reductase in vitro, and to prevent prostate hyperplasia (PH) induced with T, not with DHT, in rodents, but its potential estrogenic or antiestrogenic effects had not been studied yet. This study investigated whether D-004 produces estrogenic or antiestrogenic effects, as assessed in the uterotrophic assay in ovariectomized (ovx) rats. Rats were randomly distributed into five groups: a false-operated (sham) and four groups of ovx rats: one treated with the vehicle and three others treated with D-004, estradiol and concurrent treatment with D-004 plus estradiol, respectively. Treatments were administered for 14 days. Ovariectomy reduced significantly the uterine weight, the epithelium cell height and endometrium thick-ness values with respect to sham groups, effects that were significantly prevented with estradiol, but unaf-fected with D-004. Treatment with combined therapy produced the same effect as estradiol monotherapy. According to uterotrophic assay in ovx rats, D-004 orally given at 400 mg/kg is devoid of estrogenic/antie-strogenic activity. RESUMEN. “Evaluación del D-004 en el Ensayo Uterotrófico en Ratas Adultas Ovarectomizadas”. El D-004 es un extracto lipídico del fruto de la palma real (Roystonea regia) que inhibe in vitro la 5-α-reductasa prostática, y previene la hiperplasia prostática benigna inducida con testosterona y no por dihidrotestosterona en roedores, pe