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5617 19109 Ensembl ENSG00000172179 ENSMUSG00000021342 UniProt P01236 P06879 RefSeq (mRNA) NM_000948 NM_001163558 NM_001163530 NM_011164 RefSeq (protein) NP_000939 NP_001157030 NP_001157002 NP_035294 Location (UCSC) Chr 6: 22.29 – 22.3 Mb Chr 13: 27.24 – 27.25 Mb PubMed search Wikidata View/Edit Human View/Edit Mouse Prolactin (PRL), also known as lactotropin and mammotropin, is a protein ...
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.
During pregnancy, the production of prolactin by the mother increases steadily, starting at 6–8 weeks of gestation and continuing until the end of the pregnancy. [32] Prolactin levels in the human fetal circulation see a gradual increase from around 30 weeks of gestation until birth. [32] Prolactin is released into milk at amounts consistent ...
Erythropoietin, which stimulates red blood cell production, increases throughout pregnancy and reaches approximately 150 percent of their pregnancy levels at term. [24] The slight drop in hematocrit or hemoglobin is most pronounced at the end of the second trimester and slowly improves when reaching term.
Hyperprolactinemia, characterized by abnormally high levels of prolactin, may cause galactorrhea (production and spontaneous flow of breast milk), infertility, and menstrual disruptions in women. In men, it can lead to hypogonadism, infertility and erectile dysfunction. Prolactin is crucial for milk production during pregnancy and lactation.
Decreased estrogen increases production of prolactin which increases milk production. [3] The other mechanism states that hyperprolactinemia in neonates after birth results from their exposure to high maternally transferred estrogen level during pregnancy. [2]
High levels of prolactin during pregnancy and breastfeeding also increase insulin resistance, increase growth factor levels (IGF-1) and modify lipid metabolism in preparation for breastfeeding. During lactation, prolactin is the main factor maintaining tight junctions of the ductal epithelium and regulating milk production through osmotic balance.
Ectopic (non-pituitary) production of prolactin may also occur. Galactorrhea hyperprolactinemia is listed as a “rare disease” by the Office of Rare Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. This means that it affects less than 200,000 people in the United States population. [1]