Regional distribution and species variation of prolactin binding sites in the brain

Central prolactin receptor distribution and pSTAT5 activation patterns in breeding and non-breeding zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

The hormone prolactin has many diverse functions across taxa such as osmoregulation, metabolism, and reproductive behavior. In ring doves, central prolactin action is important for parental care and feeding behavior. However, there is a considerable lack of information on the distribution of the prolactin receptor (PRLR) in the avian CNS to test the hypothesis that prolactin mediates these and other functions in other birds. In order to advance this research, we collected brains from breeding and non-breeding zebra finches to map the PRLR distribution using immunohistochemistry. We found PRLRs are distributed widely across the brain, both in hypothalamic sites known to regulate parental care and feeding, but also in many non-hypothalamic sites, including the tectofugal visual pathway, song system regions, reward associated areas, and pallium. This raises the possibility that prolactin has other functions throughout the brain that are not necessarily related to feeding or parental care. In addition, we also stained brains for pSTAT5, a transcription factor which is expressed when the PRLR is activated and is used as a marker for PRLR activity. We found several notable differences in pSTAT5 activity due to the breeding state of the animal, in both directions, further supporting the hypothesis that prolactin has many diverse functions in the brain both within and outside times of breeding. Together, this study represents the first essential step to inform the design of causative studies which manipulate PRLR-expressing cells to test their role in a wide variety of behaviors and other physiological functions.

Prolactin and avian parental care: New insights and unanswered questions

Parental care is a critical component of reproductive success for many species, but especially for birds that have high rates of parental care. While ample studies have shown strong, positive correlational relationships between the hormone prolactin and parental care in birds, few studies in a limited number of avian species have performed the causal experiments necessary to elucidate the exact roles of prolactin during these behaviors. Additionally, how prolactin acts in the brain to affect parental behaviors is still virtually unknown with the exception of a small number of studies in very few species. Here, I review what is currently known about prolactin and avian parental care, propose a new hypothesis for prolactin's role in avian parental care, and highlight the gaps in our current understanding of prolactin's role in parental care.

Cloning and functional characterization of allelic variation in the porcine prolactin receptor

Prolactin (PRL) regulates various functions in pigs including reproduction, mammary development and lactation. We used 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RACE) to clone three full-length alleles of the porcine PRL receptor (pPRLR) from Landrace (alleles LR2 and LR4) and Yucatan miniature (MP) pigs, corresponding to the A and B alleles previously reported to be associated with reproductive traits. When expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells, all three pPRLRs transduced differentiation signals to a beta-casein promoter with the same effectiveness, where human growth hormone (hGH) and porcine PRL (pPRL) were more effective ligands than ovine PRL (oPRL). The pPRLR had a lower binding affinity for oPRL than pPRL while binding affinity for hGH was not different between the three pPRLR variants. The pPRLRs primarily localized to the cytoplasm with perinuclear concentration. In conclusion, we have cloned three allelic variants of the pPRLR and have functionally characterized these as different from the hPRLR. However, our data do not support the proposal that allelic variation of the pPRLR confers functional differences in vivo.

Prolactin receptor gene expression in the forebrain of pregnant and lactating rats

Prolactin plays a large role in the onset of maternal behavior at parturition. Knowledge of the change in expression of the prolactin receptor in the brain across pregnancy and lactation, however, is limited. Prolactin receptor gene expression was determined by in situ hybridization histochemistry during pregnancy and lactation in rats. Expression of the mRNA for the longform of the prolactin receptor (PRL-R-L) was measured in various forebrain structures in primigravid rats at different stages of pregnancy, in primiparous rats during early, mid-, and late lactation, and in age-matched, nulliparous females in diestrus. Hybridizations were performed using a [33P]-labeled riboprobe specific for the long form of the prolactin receptor mRNA complimentary to 290 bp of the prolactin receptor gene. The following areas of the forebrain were examined: medial preoptic area (MPOA), median preoptic nucleus both dorsal (MePOd) and ventral (MePOv) to the anterior commissure, ventral lateral septum (LSv), and the ventral and principal parts of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BnSTv and BnSTpr, respectively). Overall, the number of cells expressing PRL-R-L mRNA was significantly higher at 2 h postpartum compared to diestrus in all areas examined except the LSv. In addition, there were lower numbers of PRL-R-L cells during all stages of lactation compared to pregnancy. The number of grains per cell in the MPOA and LSv did not change as dramatically as the number of cells expressing PRL-R-L mRNA in those brain regions. These data contribute to the growing body of evidence that the neural lactogenic system changes as a function of female reproductive state. Changes in PRL-R-L mRNA in terms of behavior and endocrine functions are discussed.

Cloning, characterization, and tissue distribution of prolactin receptor in the sea bream (Sparus aurata)

The prolactin receptor (PRLR) was cloned and its tissue distribution characterized in adults of the protandrous hermaphrodite marine teleost, the sea bream (Sparus aurata). An homologous cDNA probe for sea bream PRLR (sbPRLR) was obtained by RT-PCR using gill mRNA. This probe was used to screen intestine and kidney cDNA libraries from which two overlapping clones (1100 and 2425 bp, respectively) were obtained. These clones had 100% sequence identity in the overlapping region (893 bp) and were used to deduce the complete amino acid sequence of sbPRLR. The receptor spans 2640 bp and encodes a protein of 537 amino acids. Features characteristic of PRLR, two pairs of cysteines, WS box, hydrophobic transmembrane domain, box 1, and box 2, were identified and showed a high degree of sequence identity to PRLRs from other vertebrate species. SbPRLR is 29 and 32% identical to tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and goldfish (Carassius auratus) PRLRs, respectively. In the sea bream two PRLR transcripts of 2.8 and 3.2 kb were detected in the intestine, kidney, and gills and a single transcript of 2.8 kb was detected in skin and pituitary by Northern blot. Spermiating gonads (more than 95% male tissue; gonado-somatic index of 0.6) contained, in addition to the 2.8-kb transcript, three more transcripts of 1.9, 1.3, and 1.1 kb. RT-PCR, which is a far more sensitive method than Northern blot, detected PRLR mRNA in gills, intestine, brain, pituitary, kidney, liver, gonads, spleen, head-kidney, heart, muscle, and bone. Immunohistochemistry using specific polyclonal antibodies raised against an oligopeptide from the extracellular domain of sbPRLR detected PRLR in several epithelial tissues of juvenile sea bream, including the anterior gut, renal tubule, choroid membrane of the third ventricle, saccus vasculosus, branchial chloride cells, and branchial cartilage.

The effect of age and sex on the expression of prolactin binding activity in the chicken bursa of Fabricius

The binding of 125I-labeled prolactin (PRL) to membranes from the bursa of Fabricius of male and female chicks of different ages (15-30-45 and 60 days) was studied. In male chicks the binding was very low in 15 day-old animals and slightly increased in more aged animals. In female chicks the binding was more evident in young animals and decreased in 60 day-old animals. The binding showed a hormonal specificity and Scatchard analysis of the binding revealed the presence of binding sites with low capacity and high affinity. The presence of PRL receptors in the bursa of the chick, a structure that confers immunological competence to birds, gives further support to the involvement of the hormone in the immune processes.

Modulation of prolactin receptors in the rat hypothalamus in response to changes in serum concentration of endogenous prolactin or to ovine prolactin administration

Specific binding of 125I-labeled rat prolactin (125I-rat PRL) to hypothalamic membranes was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats after ovine PRL administration and in relation to rat PRL serum variations induced by ectopic pituitary implants or by drugs which stimulate (domperidone) or inhibit (bromocriptine) PRL release. Repeated treatments with ovine PRL markedly increased specific binding values of 125I-rat PRL to hypothalamic membranes of female rats. Repeated treatments with domperidone also increased specific PRL binding in the hypothalamus. This effect was associated with an increase in PRL serum levels. Similar results were obtained in male rats after renal pituitary implants which resulted in a state of chronic hyperprolactinaemia. In contrast, a subchronic treatment with bromocriptine decreased specific PRL binding in the hypothalamus and concomitantly caused a sharp reduction in PRL serum levels. Scatchard analysis of data obtained from competition curves showed that the variations in the level of PRL binding to hypothalamic membranes were related to the number of PRL binding sites but not to the dissociation constant (Kd), which was unaffected by different treatments or by pituitary implantation. These results demonstrate a correlation between circulating concentrations of PRL and number of its receptors in the rat hypothalamus and give further support to the hypothesis that these binding sites may have a specific functional role in regulating the homeostasis of pituitary PRL secretion.

The role of lactogenic hormones in maternal behavior in female rats

Most mammals display an immediate onset of maternal care towards their offspring at parturition. In contrast, inexperienced, nulliparous females are often slow responders and show less intensity in their maternal responses. The transition from a slow responder in non-parous females to a rapid response at parturition is facilitated by the endocrine state of pregnancy. The present report reviews recent evidence from my laboratory demonstrating a role for prolactin in the stimulation of maternal behavior in the rat and presents new findings suggesting tht the conceptus, through its secretion of placental lactogens, helps prime the maternal brain (one site being the medial preoptic area) to respond maternally at parturition.

Sex differences in binding of human growth hormone to rat brain

The binding of 125I-human growth hormone (125I-hGH) to membranes from female and male rat brain was studied. The binding was time-, pH- and protein concentration-dependent. The binding capacities calculated for the hormone were higher in the female brain (12.1 fmol/mg protein) than in the male brain (4.5 fmol/mg protein). In the female brain, saturation isotherms yielded dissociation constants (Kd) of 6.2 x 10(-10) and 4.5 x 10(-8) M and maximal binding (Bmax) of 2.9 and 8.4 fmol/mg protein for the high and low affinity binding sites, respectively, and in the male brain a Kd of 2.3 x 10(-9) M and a Bmax of 3.5 fmol/mg protein. Displacement studies indicated that in the female brain the binding of 125I-hGH was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner more potently by lactogenic than by somatogenic hormones. The rank order of potencies of these hormones to inhibit the binding of 125I-hGH was hGH > hPRL > rPRL > oGH > rGH. However, in the male brain the inhibition of 125I-hGH binding was found to be most pronounced by somatogenic hormones with the rank order of hGH > oGH > rGH > hPRL > rPRL. These findings indicate the presence of specific binding sites for hGH in the rat brain. The level as well as the properties of these sites vary in the two sexes, with higher levels in the female brain as compared to the male brain. Moreover, these sites display predominantly lactogenic characteristics in the female brain and almost exclusively somatogenic characteristics in the male brain.

Prolactin-brain interactions in the induction of material behavior in rats

Most adult female mammals display an immediate onset of maternal care toward their offspring at parturition, whereas the responses of inexperienced, nulliparous females are often less intense or absent. The shift from being a slow or nonresponder in nulliparous females to a rapid responder at parturition in primiparous animals is induced in part by the endocrine changes of pregnancy. This report reviews recent evidence demonstrating a role for prolactin in the stimulation of maternal behavior in the rat. Moreover, new findings are presented that indicate that endogenous rat prolactin acts centrally to stimulate maternal behavior in steroid-primed, nulliparous rats and that the ventromedial hypothalamus in addition to the medial preoptic area are important neural substrates regulating the rapid induction of maternal behavior at parturition.

Effects of prolactin, growth hormone, and triiodothyronine on prolactin receptors in larval and adult tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum)

The effects of porcine growth hormone (pGH) or ovine prolactin (oPRL) alone and in combination with triiodothyronine (T3) on renal PRL receptors were determined in both pre- and post-metamorphic tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). The protein hormones were given at a dose of 1.0 micrograms/gm body weight/day and the T3 was given at 10.0 ng/gm body weight/day. The duration of treatment was 7 days. Effects on growth, and plasma thyroid hormone levels were also determined. Ovine PRL increased growth in both larvae and adults and reversed metamorphic changes. Administration of T3 increased the plasma T3 concentration, as measured by radioimmunoassay, and when given alone caused weight loss at both stages. The GH decreased plasma T4 and increased plasma T3 concentrations, indicating that it caused an increase in T4 deiodination. In adults the renal PRL receptor affinity of 2.9 +/- 0.7 x 10(10) L/mol and capacity of 160 +/- 22 fmol/mg protein were higher than the corresponding values of 1.8 +/- 0.3 x 10(10) L/mol and 29.2 +/- 3.8 fmol/mg in larvae. In adults only, there is an additional low-affinity, high capacity PRL binding site. The oPRL treatment decreased the binding capacity of 33.2 +/- 1.2 and 5.9 +/- 4.9 fmol/mg in adults and larvae, respectively. By contrast, pGH increased the capacities to 249 +/- 18 and 62.1 +/- 6.8 fmol/mg in adults and larvae, respectively. Treatment with T3 alone doubled the oPRL binding capacity to 58.3 +/- 4.7 fmol/mg in larvae, but there was no effect in adults. In both developmental stages the effects of oPRL and pGH on the receptors were not changed by the simultaneous T3 treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Characterization of prolactin receptor in human brain and choroid plexus

We have studied the binding of 125I-labeled human prolactin (PRL) to membranes from various regions of the human brain (hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum and choroid plexus) derived from autopsy specimens. Among the various regions studied, the choroid plexus of both male and female subjects showed the highest specific binding and a clearly detectable specific binding was also observed in the hypothalamus of both sexes, whereas it was very low in other brain regions. No significant sex differences in PRL binding to various brain regions were observed except for the hypothalamus where a higher binding was seen in female subjects. The binding did not vary with the age of the subjects. Moreover, the cause of death and the time elapsed from death to autopsy in this study did not affect the binding significantly. The binding of 125I-labeled human PRL to hypothalamus and choroid plexus membranes from female specimens was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by both unlabeled human and ovine PRL and by human growth hormone (GH), but not by other polypeptide hormones. Scatchard analysis of the binding revealed the presence of saturable binding sites with low capacity and high affinity for human PRL ligand. These results provide strong preliminary evidence for the presence of PRL binding sites in the human brain.

Operant food intake in pigs following intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of prolactin

1. It has previously been shown that systemic administration of prolactin stimulates food intake in a number of animal species. 2. In the present study we investigated whether central administration of prolactin would increase food intake in satiated pigs trained to make operant responses for food and water. 3. Prolactin (25-100 U) administered by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection produced no significant effects on food intake during the 60 min measurement period after injection. 4. Furthermore, none of these doses of prolactin had any effect on the daily (24 hr) consumption of food in these animals. 5. Similarly prolactin (25-100 U) i.c.v. had no significant short or long-term effects on water intake. 6. These results indicate that prolactin does not stimulate food intake in pigs by a central mode of action.

The distribution of lactogen receptors in the mammalian hypothalamus: an in vitro autoradiographic analysis of the rabbit and rat

The hypothalamus contains a high concentration of lactogen receptors as detected with in vitro radioreceptor assay techniques. In an effort to define the location of the lactogen receptors relative to specific hypothalamic nuclei, an in vitro autoradiography technique was applied to frozen sections of rat and rabbit brains. Three lactogenic hormones, i.e. human growth hormone (hGH), ovine prolactin (oPRL), and rat prolactin (rPRL), were radiolabeled with iodine-125. Competition for observed binding sites was assessed with unlabeled hGH, oPRL, and bovine growth hormone (bGH). Analysis of the autoradiographs with a microcomputer-based densitometry system revealed that the rabbit hypothalamus contains specific lactogen binding sites within the supraoptic, paraventricular, suprachiasmatic, ventromedial, arcuate, and dorsomedial nuclei and the medial preoptic area. Unlabeled bGH was effective in competing for binding sites in all areas when hGH but not oPRL was used as the radiolabeled ligand, suggesting the presence of growth hormone receptors in the rabbit hypothalamus with a distribution similar to that of the lactogen binding sites. In contrast to the rabbit, no lactogen binding sites were detected in the rat hypothalamus regardless of the ligand used in the assay. All of the ligands were successful, however, in detecting lactogen receptors within the rat choroid plexus and liver. The results from the rabbits indicate that the influences of prolactin on hypothalamic activity are mediated via lactogen receptors that are widely distributed throughout the various pertinent hypothalamic nuclei. The broad distribution of lactogen receptors in the rabbit hypothalamus attests to the extensive influence of prolactin on hypothalamic regulatory systems. The results from the rat raise questions as to the nature of rat brain prolactin receptors in comparison to prolactin receptors in rat peripheral tissues.

Changes in feeding activity, plasma luteinizing hormone, and testes weight in ring doves following hypothalamic injections of prolactin

Abstract Microinjections of ovine prolactin were administered unilaterally to the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the preoptic-suprachiasmatic region in adult male ring doves in an attempt to determine the site(s) at which intracranial injections of prolactin act to alter feeding behaviour and gonadotropin secretion in this species. Food intake and body weight were measured daily during a 6-day pretreatment period and the 5-day treatment period that immediately followed. During the treatment period, birds received twice daily injections (0.5 mul) of either 2.5 ng ovine prolactin or saline vehicle. An additional group of birds with cannulae in the ventromedial nucleus were given twice daily injections of 25 ng ovine prolactin. Although food consumption was unaffected by low dose prolactin treatment, birds given 25 ng prolactin injections into the ventromedial nucleus showed a significant augmentation in food intake. Injections of 25 ng prolactin into the preoptic area also increased feeding; however, the magnitude of this hyperphagic response, as expressed relative to pretreatment levels, was less than that observed following prolactin injection into the ventromedial nucleus. No differences were observed between prolactin-treated and vehicle-treated birds in either cannulation group when testes weights and plasma luteinizing hormone concentrations were compared at the end of the treatment period. However, the possibility that prolactin influenced changes in luteinizing hormone and testes weight relative to baseline values could not be assessed due to constraints imposed by the experimental paradigm used. These results suggest that prolactin-sensitive neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamic region and the preoptic area are potential sites of prolactin action in promoting hyperphagia in ring doves. However, the role of these sites in mediating prolactin-induced suppression of gonadotropin secretion in this species remains to be clarified.

Biochemical study of prolactin binding sites in Xenopus laevis brain and choroid plexus

The occurrence of prolactin binding sites in some brain structures (telencephalon, ventral hypothalamus, myelencephalon, hypophysis, and choroid plexus) from Xenopus laevis (anuran amphibian) was studied by the in vitro biochemical technique. The higher binding values were obtained at the level of the choroid plexus and above all of the hypothalamus. On the bases of hormonal specificity and high affinity, these binding sites are very similar to those of prolactin receptors of classical target tissues as well as of those described by us in other structures from Xenopus. To our knowledge, the present results provide the first demonstration of the occurrence of prolactin specific binding sites in Xenopus laevis choroid plexus cells.

Prolactin receptors in liver, kidney, and gill of the tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus): characterization and effect of salinity on specific binding of iodinated ovine prolactin

Specific binding of 125I-ovine prolactin (oPRL) to microsomal fractions from gill, kidney, and liver of adult tilapia was determined. Specific binding varied among tissues, the highest values being displayed by kidney membranes. In the liver, the binding of oPRL was not strongly displaced by tilapia prolactins (tPRL177 and tPRL188), although tPRL177 was six times more potent than tPRL188. On the other hand, in kidney and gill membranes, the two tPRLs were equipotent. Tilapia PRLs showed low potency in competing for oPRL-binding sites when pregnant rat liver membranes were utilized. Tilapia growth hormone (tGH) and human growth hormone (hGH) displaced 125I-oPRL from liver as well as did tPRL177 but were not recognized well by renal or branchial receptors. Two 125I-oPRL-binding sites were detected in every tissue tested. These binding sites are subject to physiological regulation since adaptation to seawater resulted in a significant decrease in specific binding.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine restores prolactin receptors in the aged rabbit brain

The number of prolactin (PRL) receptors in the hypothalamus and substantia nigra of aged rabbits is significantly lower than the number measured in young animals. The treatment of aged rabbits for 30 days with S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) restored the number of PRL binding sites to levels found in the hypothalamus and substantia nigra from young animals. We did not observe a clear-cut difference between the dissociation constants of untreated young, and untreated or SAM-treated aged rabbits, whereas the binding capacity varied. Moreover, in vitro addition of SAM to hypothalamic membranes from aged rabbits resulted in a significant increase in the number of binding sites. This in vitro effect was antagonized by S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, a specific in vitro inhibitor of methyltransferase activity. The reduction in the number of PRL receptors is assumed to be related to the decrease in membrane fluidity induced by aging, while its increase after SAM treatment might be ascribed to the ability of this methyl donor to increase the fluidity of cell membranes by stimulating phospholipid synthesis.

Further study on the changes in the concentration of prolactin-binding sites in different organs of Xenopus laevis male and female, kept under dry conditions and then returned to water (their natural habitat)

The binding of 125I-labeled ovine prolactin (125I-oPRL) to membranes from the kidney and liver of Xenopus laevis male and female specimens (Experiment I) and from the kidney, epidermis, and liver of female specimens (Experiment II) (1) kept in an aquatic environment, (2) exposed for 2 weeks to dehydrating conditions, and (3) then placed back into their aquaria after exposure to dehydrating conditions (Experiment II) was studied. No significant sex differences in PRL binding to kidney, epidermis, and liver were found. A highly significant drop in PRL specific binding to the membranes from the kidney and epidermis is brought about in the specimens from both sexes exposed to dehydrating conditions. The results obtained by MgCl2 treatment in vitro of the membranes under study for an estimation of total PRL receptor concentrations seem to point to an actual decrease in PRL specific binding sites. The values of PRL specific binding to the membranes from the liver are not affected by dehydration of the animals (Experiment I and II) or their subsequent rehydration (Experiment II). In rehydrated females (Experiment II), PRL binding values were closely related to those recorded in females permanently maintained in water (controls).

Prolactin receptors on large granular lymphocytes: dual regulation by cyclosporin A

Although evidence has been provided for a modulatory role of prolactin (PRL) on humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and PRL receptors have been found on T and B lymphocytes, no indications exist concerning the influence of PRL on natural killer (NK) activity nor has a structural basis for interaction been found on the NK effector cells (large granular lymphocytes, LGL). We show here that highly purified LGL express binding sites for PRL. The calculated receptor number was 660 per cell and the dissociation constant (Kd) was 3.0 X 10(-10) M. Since previous studies have reported that cyclosporin (CsA), an immunosuppressive agent used in organ transplant patients, affects the binding of PRL to T and B lymphocytes, but not to rabbit mammary gland cells, we investigated whether this compound could alter the binding of the hormone to LGL. At concentrations from 10(-7) to 10(-6), corresponding to the therapeutical range, CsA induced a complete inhibition of the PRL binding. By contrast, concentrations of CsA ranging from 10(-11) to 10(-9) increased the PRL binding to more than 100% of control levels. In addition to their antitumor role, LGL have been proposed to participate in graft versus host disease and in transplant rejection. The finding that CsA can differently affect PRL-receptor expression on LGL points to an involvement of CsA--PRL interactions in determining the output of these immune responses. In addition, these data strongly support the idea of a close relationship between the neuroendocrine and immune systems.