Background and Aim: Escherichia coli infection produces an adverse effect on the erythrocyte lineage and hormone levels during pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Elephantopus scaber (ES) and Sauropus androgynus (SA) in combination on circulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and erythropoiesis changes in E. coli-infected pregnant mice.

Materials and Methods: Female Balb/c mice were mated with normal male mice and pregnancies were identified by the formation of vaginal plugs. Twenty-eight pregnant mice were divided randomly into seven groups: A control group (N), E. coli-infected pregnant mice (K+), and infected pregnant mice received the following five treatments: (1) Only ES; (2) ESSA1 (75:25); (3) ESSA2 (50:50); (4) ESSA3 (25:75); and (5) only SA, beginning from the 1st to the 16th day of pregnancy. Pregnant mice were infected with 10⁷ CFU/mL of E. coli on day 4. Blood serum was collected on days 8, 12, and 16 of pregnancy and LH and FSH levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bone marrow was isolated to determine the relative number of TER-119⁺VLA4⁺ and TER-119⁺CD34⁺ using flow cytometry.

Results: The ESSA1 and SA groups exhibited a marked increase in LH levels. The combination of ES and SA administered at a 25:75 ratio (ESSA3) altered FSH levels and the relative number of TER-119⁺VLA4⁺ in infected pregnant mice. Combined with SA at an equal ratio (50:50), ESSA2 group exhibited a significant increase in the expression of TER119⁺CD34⁺ compared with the other treatment groups.

Conclusion: ES and SA combined at a ratio of 25:75 exhibited optimal results in altering hormonal and erythropoiesis in infected pregnant mice.

Keywords: Elephantopus scaber, erythropoiesis, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, Sauropus androgynus.