Prolactin gene disruption does not compromise differentiation of tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons

In mice with spontaneous mutations in transcription factors Prop-1 or Pit-1, the pituitary fails to produce prolactin (PRL), GH and TSH, and numbers of hypothalamic PRL-regulating dopaminergic (DA) neurons (area A12) are reduced by more than 50%. A normal neuronal population can be maintained in these mutants by PRL treatment of neonates, but not of adults. Targeted disruption of the PRL structural gene in mice provides a new model of isolated PRL deficiency to test the specificity of the PRL neurotrophic effect. The present study used morphological methods to assess hypophysiotropic tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) neurons in these mice, with the hypothesis that isolated PRL deficiency also would lead to reduction in TIDA neuron number. Brains of female and male homozygous PRL-null (- or -) mice and normal heterozygous (+ or -) siblings were compared using formaldehyde-induced endogenous catecholamine fluorescence and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry. Immunostaining intensity was quantified using computerized image analysis, and total numbers of TH-immunoreactive neurons were counted in three diencephalic DA brain regions. Intensity of DA fluorescence in A12 perikarya and median eminence (ME) was reduced in - or - mice; fluorescence in other brain areas was comparable for - or - and + or - mice. Immunostaining intensity of TH was significantly lower (p = 0.0001) in - or - than in normal mice in perikarya of A12, but not in cell bodies of nonhypophysiotropic area A13 (medial zona incerta). In external ME, TH immunostaining intensity was lower (p = 0.0001) in PRL-null than in normal mice. The decrease in TH intensity in both perikarya and in ME was significant for both female and male - or - mice. However, numbers of A12 neurons in the PRL-null mice were not lower than those of normal siblings. TH-immunoreactive cell number also did not differ between + or - and - or - mice in areas A13 and periventricular A14. The presence of a normal complement of A12 DA neurons in the PRL-null mice, despite greatly reduced DA and TH, emphasizes that steady-state content and differentiation of phenotype in individual neurons are very different assessments. The results suggest that, although absence of the stimulatory PRL feedback signal results in diminished activity of TIDA neurons, differentiation of these cells is not adversely affected.