Chronic prolactin, gonadal and thyroid hormone treatments in vivo alter levels of TRH and muscarinic receptors in male and female rat tissues

Prolactin (PRL) and its receptor: actions, signal transduction pathways and phenotypes observed in PRL receptor knockout mice

PRL is an anterior pituitary hormone that, along with GH and PLs, forms a family of hormones that probably resulted from the duplication of an ancestral gene. The PRLR is also a member of a larger family, known as the cytokine class-1 receptor superfamily, which currently has more than 20 different members. PRLRs or binding sites are widely distributed throughout the body. In fact, it is difficult to find a tissue that does not express any PRLR mRNA or protein. In agreement with this wide distribution of receptors is the fact that now more than 300 separate actions of PRL have been reported in various vertebrates, including effects on water and salt balance, growth and development, endocrinology and metabolism, brain and behavior, reproduction, and immune regulation and protection. Clearly, a large proportion of these actions are directly or indirectly associated with the process of reproduction, including many behavioral effects. PRL is also becoming well known as an important regulator of immune function. A number of disease states, including the growth of different forms of cancer as well as various autoimmune diseases, appear to be related to an overproduction of PRL, which may act in an endocrine, autocrine, or paracrine manner, or via an increased sensitivity to the hormone. The first step in the mechanism of action of PRL is the binding to a cell surface receptor. The ligand binds in a two-step process in which site 1 on PRL binds to one receptor molecule, after which a second receptor molecule binds to site 2 on the hormone, forming a homodimer consisting of one molecule of PRL and two molecules of receptor. The PRLR contains no intrinsic tyrosine kinase cytoplasmic domain but associates with a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, JAK2. Dimerization of the receptor induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the JAK kinase followed by phosphorylation of the receptor. Other receptor-associated kinases of the Src family have also been shown to be activated by PRL. One major pathway of signaling involves phosphorylation of cytoplasmic State proteins, which themselves dimerize and translocate to nucleus and bind to specific promoter elements on PRL-responsive genes. In addition, the Ras/Raf/MAP kinase pathway is also activated by PRL and may be involved in the proliferative effects of the hormone. Finally, a number of other potential mediators have been identified, including IRS-1, PI-3 kinase, SHP-2, PLC gamma, PKC, and intracellular Ca2+. The technique of gene targeting in mice has been used to develop the first experimental model in which the effect of the complete absence of any lactogen or PRL-mediated effects can be studied. Heterozygous (+/-) females show almost complete failure to lactate after the first, but not subsequent, pregnancies. Homozygous (-/-) females are infertile due to multiple reproductive abnormalities, including ovulation of premeiotic oocytes, reduced fertilization of oocytes, reduced preimplantation oocyte development, lack of embryo implantation, and the absence of pseudopregnancy. Twenty per cent of the homozygous males showed delayed fertility. Other phenotypes, including effects on the immune system and bone, are currently being examined. It is clear that there are multiple actions associated with PRL. It will be important to correlate known effects with local production of PRL to differentiate classic endocrine from autocrine/paracrine effects. The fact that extrapituitary PRL can, under some circumstances, compensate for pituitary PRL raises the interesting possibility that there may be effects of PRL other than those originally observed in hypophysectomized rats. The PRLR knockout mouse model should be an interesting system by which to look for effects activated only by PRL or other lactogenic hormones. On the other hand, many of the effects reported in this review may be shared with other hormones, cytokines, or growth factors and thus will be more difficult to study. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Cholinergic-androgenic interaction in the regulation of male sexual behavior in rats

It is well known that testosterone (T) plays a major role in the adequate expression of male sexual behavior. On the other hand, the stimulation of central muscarinic receptors with oxotremorine (OXO), a specific agonist, facilitates the expression of masculine sexual behavior in rats. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between T and the cholinergic system, recording the effect of OXO administration on masculine sexual behavior in gonadectomized rats, before and after receiving T treatment. Sexually experienced and unexperienced male rats were gonadectomized and periodically tested for sexual behavior. Once this behavior was absent or drastically reduced, males were treated with OXO or saline and sexual behavior was assessed. 112 or 167 days later, animals were treated daily with T during 21 days, recording the response to OXO in days 12 and 21. Sexual behavior decreased more rapidly after gonadectomy in inexperienced males. OXO administration did not improve sexual performance in either group. The administration of T rapidly restored sexual behavior of experienced males: recovery of inexperienced males was slower. In the presence of T, OXO administration exerted a facilitative effect on sexual performance of both groups. These results suggest that the facilitative effect of muscarinic stimulation on sexual behavior requires the presence of testosterone.

Evaluation of quaternized and neutral muscarinic receptor ligands in normal and DES-treated rat

The localization of quaternized muscarinic receptor (mAChR) antagonists, [11C]methyl tropanyl benzilate ([11C]MTRB) and [11C]methyl quinuclidinyl benzilate ([11C]MQNB), in rat pituitary was compared to that of [11C]tropanyl benzilate ([11C]TRB), a neutral antagonist. The quaternized ligands localize via a mAChR-mediated mechanism as shown by 60% reduction in radioactivity concentrations in the presence of QNB. [11C]TRB appears to localize primarily by a non-mAChR specific mechanism. Induction of pituitary prolactinomas by diethylstilbestrol resulted in a reduction of [11C]MTRB pituitary localization compared to normals. Elevated serum prolactin levels due to prolactinoma presence had no measurable effect on myocardial [11C]MTRB uptake or on KD values. Bmax values for myocardial mAChR were similar for controls and for DES exposure of 10 weeks.