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Rat decidual prolactin. Identification, molecular cloning, and characterization
A Prigent-Tessier1, C Tessier, M Hirosawa-Takamori
1Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|December 23, 1999
Summary
Researchers confirmed rat decidua produces prolactin, a hormone vital for pregnancy. Pituitary prolactin appears to regulate decidual prolactin, suggesting tissue-specific gene expression during pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Endocrinology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Pregnancy maintenance relies on the decidua, a specialized maternal tissue.
- Human decidua synthesizes prolactin, but its production in rats remained unproven.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate prolactin production by the rat decidua.
- To characterize the regulation of decidual prolactin in rats.
Main Methods:
- Northern blot analysis, RT-PCR, Western blot, immunocytochemistry, ELISA.
- cDNA cloning using RT-PCR and RACE.
- Primary decidual cell culture and hormone treatments.
Main Results:
- Rat decidua cells express prolactin mRNA and secrete prolactin.
- Decidual prolactin cDNA sequence is identical to pituitary prolactin.
- Pituitary prolactin down-regulates decidual prolactin; its inhibition increases decidual prolactin.
- Steroid hormones and cAMP show differential regulation of decidual prolactin.
Conclusions:
- The rat decidua synthesizes and secretes prolactin, challenging previous assumptions.
- Pituitary prolactin negatively regulates decidual prolactin, indicating a feedback loop.
- Decidual prolactin gene expression is regulated differently from pituitary prolactin, possibly via an alternative promoter.