Prolactin
Prolactin and Miscarriage
Prolactin is higher in recurrent miscarriage, though still within normal range
FSH, estradiol, LH, prolactin and DHEAS concentrations were significantly higher in the unexplained recurrent miscarriage group than in the explained recurrent miscarriage group, although serum concentrations of all hormones were within the normal range.
http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/gye.17.4.317.321
Prolactin is higher in early miscarriage
Serum prolactin levels during early pregnancy (5-10 weeks of gestation) were significantly higher in patients who miscarried (31.8-55.3 ng/mL) than in patients whose pregnancies were successful (4.6-15.5 ng/mL). CONCLUSION(S): Appropriate circulating levels of prolactin may play an important role in maintaining early pregnancy, especially in cases of hyperprolactinemic recurrent miscarriage.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9696215
Higher prolactin and androgens in women with recurrent miscarriage
A total of 42 consecutive women with recurrent miscarriage (three or more consecutive miscarriages, mean: 3.9) with no parental chromosome rearrangement or uterine abnormality were studied during the early follicular phase under standardized conditions. Serum concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin, androstenedione, testosterone, dehydroepiandro-stenedione, 17-OH-progesterone, oestradiol, progesterone and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured by commercially available radioimmunoassays. Controls were 42 nulligravid females with tubal or male factor infertility without miscarriage. Mean concentrations of prolactin and androstenedione were 14.2 ng/ml versus 10.5 ng/ml and 2.3 ng/ml versus 1.7 ng/ml in the study and control groups respectively. The other endocrine parameters were comparable in both groups. Recurrent miscarriage is associated with abnormalities in prolactin and androgen secretion during the follicular phase, suggesting an endocrine aetiology in this disorder. Reduction of body weight and correction of hyperprolactinaemia and of hyperandrogenism may reduce the rate of miscarriage in a subsequent pregnancy in these women.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10374087
Prolactin is higher in some women with recurrent miscarriage
A total of 31 women suffering from habitual miscarriage have been examined when not pregnant. Both increased and normal prolactin levels were recorded. In hyperprolactinemia the level of the luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion was high and no ovulatory peaks were detected, whereas in normal prolactin secretion the level of LH was moderately increased during all phases of the menstrual cycle. Secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone was normal in both groups. Sex steroid secretion was disturbed.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6440139
Prolactin decreases the life of the corpus luteum
Relative increases in circulating prolactin have been linked to breast soreness, fibrocystic breast syndrome, water retention, and depression associated with PMS. Elevated levels of prolactin decrease the life and action of the corpus luteum (necessary to sustain pregnancy through the first 7 weeks), thus decreasing the production of progesterone.
http://acudoc.com/Menopause.PDF
Prolactin and Autoimmunity
Prolactin induces autoimmunity
Prolactin has an immunostimulatory effect and promotes autoimmunity: prolactin impairs the negative selection of autoreactive B lymphocytes occurring during B cell maturation into fully functional B cells. Prolactin has an anti-apoptotic effect, enhances proliferative response to antigens and mitogens and enhances the production of immunoglobulins and autoantibodies. Hyperprolactinemia is observed in multi-organ and organ specific autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1568997206002096
Prolactin Effects
High prolactin causes fibrocystic breasts
Fibrocystic breasts are linked to excess estrogen and prolactin.
http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/news75.html
High prolactin linked to low progesterone and luteal phase defects
One hundred fifty-one luteal phase deficiency patients and 11 controls had serum prolactin measured daily for 3-4 days near ovulation. Thirty-three subjects (21.9%) had transient hyperprolactinemia, with prolactin above 20 ng/mL for 1 or 2 days, and were studied further. The blood samples of these 33 subjects and of the controls were also analyzed for LH and FSH. Plasma progesterone was measured on the fourth, seventh, and tenth days after ovulation in both groups. The mean of the mid-cycle integrated LH surge (125.0 mIU/mL) and the sum of three plasma progesterone levels (23.8 ng/mL) in the luteal phase deficiency women were significantly lower than those of the controls (LH 158.7 mIU/mL; progesterone 33.8 ng/mL). All 33 luteal phase deficiency subjects with transient hyperprolactinemia were treated with bromocriptine to maintain mid-cycle prolactin levels between 5-15 ng/mL. Both the integrated LH surge and the sum of three progesterone levels increased significantly during bromocriptine treatment, to 142.6 mIU/mL and 28.2 ng/mL, respectively. Fourteen of the 33 patients conceived.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1923170
Treating high prolactin also lowers insulin resistance, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides
Twenty-two patients with prolactinoma completed 6 months of treatment with dopamine agonist. After 6 months of treatment with dopamine agonist, prolactin levels normalized, but no significant difference in BMI was observed. However, there was a significant decrease on homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index, glucose, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20559294
Prolactin promotes insulin resistance
There is an increased insulin-resistant state during pregnancy mediated by the placental anti-insulin hormones estrogen, progesterone, human somatomammotropin; the pituitary hormone prolactin; and the adrenal hormone, cortisol.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8632110
Prolactin promotes blood coagulation
Among groups matched with regard to insulin-sensitivity markers, both monomeric hyperprolactinemia and macroprolactinemia appeared to promote platelet activation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20960266
Prolactin causes PMS
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a complex combination of a variety of symptoms including mood swings, anxiety, depression, tender breasts and food cravings. The causes of the premenstrual syndrome have not yet been understood clearly, but have been attributed to hormonal and neuronal dysbalance, diet and lifestyle. Hyperprolactinemia seems to be an important factor which is considered to be part of the endocrine disorder.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19469189
Prolactin higher in acne sufferers
Acne cases had higher mean levels of serum total testosterone, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and prolactin.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9164062
High prolactin doubles risk for breast cancer
Prolactin levels higher than the median value in control subjects were found to be associated with a more than two-fold increase in the risk of breast cancer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2215338
Prolactin lowers progesterone production
Higher concentrations of prolactin cause a decrease in FSH-receptor binding and progesterone production.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10632421
Reducing prolactin boosts estrogen, does not effect progesterone
The effect of follicular phase bromocriptine (lowers prolactin) therapy on the ovarian endocrine response to clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins was studied in 35 tubal infertility patients in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. During bromocriptine treatment, the serum prolactin concentration significantly decreased, and consequently the serum estradiol concentration was significantly higher than in the controls on cycle day 9, and the ratio of testosterone to estradiol was decreased from cycle day 8 through day 10. The luteal phase progesterone concentration and the length of the luteal phase were not affected by bromocriptine therapy. The number and quality of oocytes harvested and the cleavage rates were similar in both groups.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2744187
Prolactin and Metabolic Syndrome
Reducing prolactin/increasing dopamine lowers glucose and insulin and boosts metabolism
Previous studies suggest that impaired dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. We studied the acute effects of bromocriptine (a D2R agonist)(commonly prescribed for treatment of hyperprolatinemia) on energy metabolism in obese women; body weight and caloric intake remained constant. Mean 24-h blood glucose and insulin were significantly reduced by bromocriptine, whereas mean 24 h plasma free fatty acid levels were increased, suggesting that lipolysis was stimulated. Bromocriptine increased oxygen consumption and resting energy expenditure (by 50 kcal/day). Systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced by bromocriptine. Thus these results imply that short-term bromocriptine treatment ameliorates various components of the metabolic syndrome while it shifts energy balance away from lipogenesis in obese humans.
http://ajpendo.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/291/5/E1038
Lowering Prolactin Levels
Dietary saturated fats raise prolactin
Our results showed that, in premenopausal women, a high intake of saturated fats was associated with a high prolactin concentration.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2215338
Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats lowers prolactin
In the follicular phase, prolactin concentrations significantly decreased by 3.6 micrograms/dl, follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations slightly increased by 0.1 IU/l, and cortisol concentrations slightly decreased by 81.8 nmol/l with the polyunsaturated fat diet replacing most of the saturated fat vs. the high saturated fat Western diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12467131
Vitex agnus castus prevents the increase of prolactin in response to stress
It is postulated that Vitex agnus castus suppresses the stress-induced latent hyperprolactinemia which is a release of supra-physiological levels of prolactin in some patients in response to stressful stimuli. It is postulated that Vitex agnus castus could be effective in the treatment of cyclical mastalgia by inhibiting the release of excess prolactin by blocking Dopamine-2 receptor type on pituitary.
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nem074
Vitex reduces the secretion of prolactin
Both extracts from Vitex agnus castus as well as synthetic dopamine agonists (Lisuride) significantly inhibit basal as well as TRH-stimulated prolactin secretion of rat pituitary cells in vitro and as a consequence inhibition of prolactin secretion could be blocked by adding a dopamine receptor blocker. Therefore because of its dopaminergic effect Agnus castus could be considered as an efficient alternative phytotherapeutic drug in the treatment of slight hyperprolactinaemia.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8330858
Vitex inhibits prolactin release by boosting dopamine
Evidence suggests that chaste tree berries possess dopaminergic properties that inhibit the secretion of the peptide hormone prolactin. Relative increases in circulating prolactin have been linked to breast soreness, fibrocystic breast syndrome, water retention, and depression associated with PMS. This is consistent with research that suggests that chaste tree berry may have a progesterogenic effect.
http://acudoc.com/Menopause.PDF
Prolactin Data
High prolactin due to high GnRH
In summary, we have serious reservations whether abnormalities in prolactin secretion are a common or integral part of the pathophysiology of luteal phase defect. From previous work we know these subtle abnormalities in prolactin secretion in luteal phase defect are associated with definite abnormalities in gonadotropin secretion. We believe these gonadotropin abnormalities are probably more significant in terms of decreased progesterone secretion.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2022718
Estrogen boosts prolactin
Estrogens provide a well-studied positive control over prolactin synthesis and secretion.
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/prolactin.html
Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulates the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyrotropin-releasing_hormone
Elevated prolactin secretion can suppress the secretion of FSH and GnRH.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolactin
Other topics covered under Hormones:
Adiponectin, Estrogen, FSH, GnRH, LH, PCOS, Progesterone, Prolactin, SHBG, Testosterone