Effect of aging on prolactin regulation of rat striatal dopamine receptor concentrations.
Administration of highly purified rat prolactin by miniosmotic pump increases striatal dopamine receptor concentrations in both mature (4-6 months) and senescent (24 months) male Wistar rats. Although receptor levels in untreated rats are about 30% lower in the senescent group, elevated levels following prolactin are not significantly different between ages. Increases in circulating prolactin levels after 7 days of treatment were not detectable at the low concentrations used (150 ng/hr). In fact, there was a trend toward decreases in circulating prolactin concentrations to the same level in both groups after treatment, despite substantially elevated basal levels in many of the senescent rats.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*
D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011388:Prolactin