title: Melatonin effects on prolactin secretion in pituitary-grafted female rats.
abstract: Melatonin influences prolactin (PRL) secretion through unknown mechanisms. This work was undertaken to study the effects of melatonin administration of PRL secretion in pituitary-grafted female rats. Melatonin administration resulted in a marked and rapid decrease of previously high plasma PRL levels in pituitary-grafted rats. Luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) administration resulted in a marked decrease of plasma PRL levels in both sham-operated and grafted animals given saline whereas a statistically significant increase was observed in grafted, melatonin-treated rats. Estradiol benzoate administration caused an increase in plasma PRL levels of greater magnitude in the afternoon than in the morning in sham-operated animals given saline whereas in grafted animals no response to estradiol benzoate was detected. Melatonin increased the plasma PRL response to estradiol benzoate in sham-operated rats as compared to vehicle-treated animals. A normalization of PRL response to estradiol benzoate was shown in melatonin-treated, pituitary grafted rats. While the suppressive effects of melatonin in plasma PRL levels of pituitary-grafted animals is substantial the mechanism of this inhibition remains unknown.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquimica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Esquifino
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Villanua
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agrasal
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tresguerres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000209:etiology; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000637:transplantation*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011388:Prolactin; D008550:Melatonin