Prolactin stimulates cell migration and invasion by human trophoblast in vitro

Prolactin (PRL) is present in endometrium at the time of embryo implantation and throughout pregnancy. Extrapituitary PRL acts as a cytokine in cells expressing PRL receptor (PRLR). So far no specific function has been demonstrated for PRL in the trophoblast of early pregnancy.

PRLR in placental tissue and trophoblast cells was shown here immunochemically. The possibility that PRL could influence trophoblast cell migration and invasion was investigated in vitro using isolated cytotrophoblast of the first trimester of pregnancy placental tissue and HTR-8/SVneo cell line. Wound healing cell migration test was performed on HTR-8/SVneo cells, and both cell types were used in Matrigel invasion test.

PRLR is expressed by extravillous cytotrophoblast of the cell column and the placental bed, as well as in isolated cytotrophoblast (CT) and HTR-8/SVneo cells. PRL (at 100 and 1000 ng/ml) stimulated HTR-8/SVneo cell migration and cell invasion in both cell types, which could be blocked by anti-PRLR. Integrins α1 and α5, and galectin-1 (gal-1) were variably increased in PRL treated CT and HTR-8/SVneo cells.

To our knowledge this is the first study demonstrating that PRL stimulates trophoblast invasiveness through PRLR, which is accompanied by increased integrins and gal-1, not excluding change in other potential mediators. This finding further supports relevance of PRLR for invasive trophoblast.

This report supports a possibility that PRL may have a role in trophoblast invasion in vivo.