Endocrinology, Vol 128, 2776-2784, Copyright © 1991 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Hypophysectomized rats depend on residual prolactin for survival

E Nagy and I Berczi
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

Hypophysectomized (Hypox) female Fischer 344 rats had 10-20% lactogenic activity in their serum when compared to controls by the Nb2 lymphoma proliferation assay. If such animals were treated daily with a rabbit antirat PRL serum, their serum lactogenic activity diminished further; severe anemia and immunological anergy developed; and death occurred within 8 weeks. In contrast, untreated Hypox animals increased gradually their serum lactogenic activity, starting on the 7th week after pituitary removal, which rose up to 50% of control levels by week 9. Hypox animals showed normochromic normocytic anemia, a grossly reduced immunocompetence, decreased body, thymus, spleen, adrenal, and ovary weights, and decreased DNA and RNA synthesis in the thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. However, the condition of Hypox animals did not deteriorate further over the 9-week experimental period. All the hematological deficiencies and decrease in organ weights observed in Hypox rats were normalized after grafting with syngeneic pituitaries (SPG). These effects of SPG could be inhibited by additional treatment with antirat PRL serum. Treatment of Hypox animals with ovine PRL had a restoring effect similar to SPG, which was not inhibited by additional antirat PRL serum treatment. Rat and ovine PRL and GH and human placental lactogen all stimulated the incorporation of 3H-thymidine by rat bone marrow cells in vitro. These results indicate that PRL has a multiple trophic effect and is capable of maintaining vital bodily functions for long periods of time.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Campos-Rodriguez, A. Quintanar-Stephano, R. A. Jarillo-Luna, G. Oliver-Aguillon, J. Ventura-Juarez, V. Rivera-Aguilar, I. Berczi, and K. Kovacs Hypophysectomy and Neurointermediate Pituitary Lobectomy Reduce Serum Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG and Intestinal IgA Responses to Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Infection in Rats Infect. Immun., March 1, 2006; 74(3): 1883 - 1889. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Quintanar-Stephano, R. Chavira-Ramirez, K. Kovacs, and I. Berczi Neurointermediate pituitary lobectomy decreases the incidence and severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats J. Endocrinol., January 1, 2005; 184(1): 51 - 58. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Everson and W. R. Crowley Reductions in circulating anabolic hormones induced by sustained sleep deprivation in rats Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 2004; 286(6): E1060 - E1070. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I Mendez, J Alcocer-Varela, A Parra, A Lava-Zavala, D A de la Cruz, D Alarcon-Segovia, and F Larrea Neuroendocrine dopaminergic regulation of prolactin release in systemic lupus erythematosus: a possible role of lymphocyte-derived prolactin Lupus, January 1, 2004; 13(1): 45 - 53. [Abstract] [PDF]

				H. Wallaschofski, M. Donne, M. Eigenthaler, B. Hentschel, R. Faber, H. Stepan, M. Koksch, and T. Lohmann PRL as a Novel Potent Cofactor for Platelet Aggregation J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2001; 86(12): 5912 - 5919. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Welniak, S. Richards, and W. Murphy Effects of prolactin on hematopoiesis Lupus, October 1, 2001; 10(10): 700 - 705. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L Matera, M Mori, and A Galetto Effect of prolactin on the antigen presenting function of monocyte-derived dendritic cells Lupus, October 1, 2001; 10(10): 728 - 734. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L J Jara, O Vera-Lastra, J M Miranda, M Alcala, and J Alvarez-Nemegyci Prolactin in human systemic lupus erythematosus Lupus, October 1, 2001; 10(10): 748 - 756. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F Blanco-Favela, K Chavez-Rueda, and A Leanos-Miranda Analysis of anti-prolactin autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus Lupus, October 1, 2001; 10(10): 757 - 761. [Abstract] [PDF]

				X. Xu, E. Kreye, C. B. Kuo, and A. M. Walker A Molecular Mimic of Phosphorylated Prolactin Markedly Reduced Tumor Incidence and Size When DU145 Human Prostate Cancer Cells Were Grown in Nude Mice Cancer Res., August 1, 2001; 61(16): 6098 - 6104. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Prigent-Tessier, U. Barkai, C. Tessier, H. Cohen, and G. Gibori Characterization of a Rat Uterine Cell Line, UIII Cells: Prolactin (PRL) Expression and Endogenous Regulation of PRL-Dependent Genes; Estrogen Receptor {{beta}}, {{alpha}}2-Macroglobulin, and Decidual PRL Involving the Jak2 and Stat5 Pathway Endocrinology, March 1, 2001; 142(3): 1242 - 1250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Bodosi, F. Obal Jr., J. Gardi, J. Komlodi, J. Fang, and J. M. Krueger An ether stressor increases REM sleep in rats: possible role of prolactin Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, November 1, 2000; 279(5): R1590 - R1598. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Freeman, B. Kanyicska, A. Lerant, and G. Nagy Prolactin: Structure, Function, and Regulation of Secretion Physiol Rev, October 1, 2000; 80(4): 1523 - 1631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. L. Anderson, D. L. Hard, A. H. Trenkle, and S.-J. Cho Long-Term Growth after Hypophyseal Stalk Transection and Hypophysectomy of Beef Calves Endocrinology, May 1, 1999; 140(5): 2405 - 2414. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. Bole-Feysot, V. Goffin, M. Edery, N. Binart, and P. A. Kelly Prolactin (PRL) and Its Receptor: Actions, Signal Transduction Pathways and Phenotypes Observed in PRL Receptor Knockout Mice Endocr. Rev., June 1, 1998; 19(3): 225 - 268. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				R. Clark The Somatogenic Hormones and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1: Stimulators of Lymphopoiesis and Immune Function Endocr. Rev., April 1, 1997; 18(2): 157 - 179. [Abstract] [Full Text]