Serum prolactin levels in fetal and neonatal hamsters and the relationship to maternal levels.
Immunoreactive prolactin was measured by RIA in 13.5-15.5 day gestation fetal and 0.5-3.5 day neonatal hamster serum and found to significantly reflect rises and falls in maternal levels. On the average, fetal and neonatal levels were 37% of maternal prolactin serum levels. 125I-PRL injected into 13.5-15.5 day pregnant hamsters was demonstrated to cross the placenta and enter fetal circulation. Ten min after injection, fetal serum levels were calculated to be an average of 3.9% of the radioactivity recorded in maternal serum. There is a strong possibility that fetal prolactin serum levels may be, at least in part, attributed to a maternal source.
D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D006224:Cricetinae; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013997:Time Factors
D000941:Antigens; D011388:Prolactin