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Discovered in non-human animals around 1930 by Oscar Riddle [8] and confirmed in humans in 1970 by Henry Friesen, [9] prolactin is a peptide hormone, encoded by the PRL gene. [10] In mammals, prolactin is associated with milk production; in fish it is thought to be related to the control of water and salt balance.
A prolactin cell (also known as a lactotropic cell, epsilon acidophil, lactotrope, lactotroph, mammatroph, mammotroph) is a cell in the anterior pituitary which produces prolactin (a peptide hormone) in response to hormonal signals including dopamine (which is inhibitory), thyrotropin-releasing hormone and estrogen (especially during pregnancy), which are stimulatory.
Some research indicates that prolactin in milk is greater at times of higher milk production, and lower when breasts are fuller, and that the highest levels tend to occur between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. [7] Other hormones—notably insulin, thyroxine, and cortisol—are also involved, but their roles are not yet well understood.
Prolactin, produced in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, is the major hormone responsible for milk production.During pregnancy, the level of prolactin rises to trigger the development of mammary tissue in the breast to prepare it for milk supply. [17]
It helps in the development of the mammary glands for milk production post-childbirth. [18] Additionally, with estrogen and progesterone, hPL helps in growing alveolar for lactogenesis. [17] Acting as a growth hormone it facilitates fetal development by boosting protein synthesis and cellular growth. [19]
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With suckling from the infant, prolactin and oxytocin are secreted and mediate milk production and letdown, respectively. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 29 ] Prolactin suppresses the secretion of LH and FSH, which in turn results in continued low levels of estrogen and progesterone, and temporary amenorrhea (absence of menstrual cycles) occurs. [ 29 ]
A mammary gland is an exocrine gland in humans and other mammals that produces milk to feed young offspring.Mammals get their name from the Latin word mamma, "breast".The mammary glands are arranged in organs such as the breasts in primates (for example, humans and chimpanzees), the udder in ruminants (for example, cows, goats, sheep, and deer), and the dugs of other animals (for example, dogs ...