Elevation of plasma prolactin concentrations by intravenous SCH 23390 and SKF 38393 in conscious rats

Prolactin and fMRI response to SKF38393 in the baboon

Background. This study's goal was to provide dose-response data for a dopamine agonist in the baboon using standard methods (replicate measurements at each dose, across a range of doses), as a standard against which to subsequently validate a novel pharmacological MRI (phMRI) method. Dependent variables were functional MRI (fMRI) data from brain regions selected a priori, and systemic prolactin release. Necessary first steps included estimating the magnitude and time course of prolactin response to anesthesia alone and to various doses of agonist. These first steps ("time course studies") were performed with three agonists, and the results were used to select promising agonists and to guide design details for the single-dose studies needed to generate dose-response curves. Methods. We studied 6 male baboons (Papio anubis) under low-dose isoflurane anesthesia after i.m. ketamine. Time course studies charted the changes in plasma prolactin levels over time after anesthesia alone or after an intravenous (i.v.) dose of the dopamine D 1-like agonists SKF82958 and SKF38393 or the D 2-like agonist pramipexole. In the single-dose dopamine agonist studies, one dose of SKF38393 (ranging from 0.0928-9.28 mg/kg, N = 5 animals) or pramipexole (0.00928-0.2 mg/kg, N = 1) was given i.v. during a 40-min blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fMRI session, to determine BOLD and plasma prolactin responses to different drug concentrations. BOLD response was quantified as the area under the time-signal curve for the first 15 min after the start of the drug infusion, compared to the linearly predicted signal from the baseline data before drug. The ED50 (estimated dose that produces 50% of the maximal possible response to drug) for SKF38393 was calculated for the serum prolactin response and for phMRI responses in hypothalamus, pituitary, striatum and midbrain. Results. Prolactin rose 2.4- to 12-fold with anesthesia alone, peaking around 50-90 min after ketamine administration and gradually tapering off but still remaining higher than baseline on isoflurane 3-5 h after ketamine. Baseline prolactin level increased with age. SKF82958 0.1 mg/kg i.v. produced no noticeable change in plasma prolactin concentration. SKF38393 produced a substantial increase in prolactin release that peaked at around 20-30 min and declined to pre-drug levels in about an hour. Pramipexole quickly reduced prolactin levels below baseline, reaching a nadir 2-3 h after infusion. SKF38393 produced clear, dose-responsive BOLD signal changes, and across the four regions, ED50 was estimated at 2.6-8.1 mg/kg. Conclusions. In the baboon, the dopamine D 1 receptor agonist SKF38393 produces clear plasma prolactin and phMRI dose-response curves. Variability in age and a modest sample size limit the precision of the conclusions.

Hypothalamic dopamine D1 receptors are involved in the stimulation of prolactin secretion by high environmental temperature in the female sheep

Recent evidence suggests that dopamine, acting via its D1 receptors, may function as a neurotransmitter in intrahypothalamic pathways involved in the stimulation of prolactin secretion. Functional dopamine D1 receptors are present in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and we hypothesized that they might be part of a prolactin-stimulatory pathway activated by stress. We tested this hypothesis in a series of experiments on sheep involving two different forms of stressors, audiovisual (barking dog) and high environmental temperature. We attempted to block the stimulation of prolactin secretion by infusion into the VMH of an antagonist specific for the D1 receptor. Ovariectomised, oestradiol-implanted merino ewes were surgically implanted with bilateral guide tubes directed at the VMH. After a 180 min pretreatment period, the ewes either were or were not exposed to a stressor (30 min of barking dog or 120 min at 35 degrees C, 65% relative humidity). D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390 or vehicle (0.9% saline) was infused into the VMH (1.7 microliters/h, 120 nmol/h) for 60 min prior to and during the stressor period. Blood was sampled every 15 min via jugular cannulae and the plasma was assayed for prolactin, cortisol and growth hormone (GH). Both stressors significantly increased prolactin concentrations over control levels. SCH23390 infusion significantly attenuated the prolactin response to high environmental temperature, but had no effect on the prolactin response to audiovisual stress. Cortisol concentrations were significantly increased by audiovisual stress only and were not affected by SCH23390. GH concentrations were not changed by either stressor or infusion. Drug infusion alone did not affect the concentration of the hormones. The data suggest that the VMH D1 receptors are involved in a prolactin stimulatory pathway in response to high environmental temperature. The inability of the D1 antagonist to affect the response to the barking dog indicates that this pathway is stress-specific, implying that there is more than one mechanism or pathway involved in the prolactin response to different stressors.

Effect of hypothalamic infusion of a dopamine D1 receptor antagonist on prolactin secretion in the ewe

In this study we investigated whether dopamine D1 receptors in the hypothalamus are involved in the control of prolactin secretion in ovariectomised, oestradiol implanted ewes. The D1 antagonist SCH23390 or vehicle was infused into either the preoptic area (POA) or the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). During infusion into the VMH, prolactin concentrations declined significantly and did not return to control values until more than 60 min after the infusions had stopped. In contrast, infusion into the POA had no significant effect. These results are in accord with the hypothesis that dopaminergic pathways within the hypothalamus stimulate prolactin secretion via dopamine D1 receptors in the VMH.