Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on rat pituitary prolactin release

The effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) on PRL secretion from rat pituitary in vivo and in vitro was investigated. Treating the rats for three days with 0.05 microgram/kg per day had no effect on basal PRL secretion, whereas the TRH-induced PRL secretion was increased (P less than 0.001). The enhancing effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 was blunted by verapamil. Incubating dispersed anterior pituitary cells with 10(-8) mol/l 1,25(OH)2D3 induced a significant increase in PRL secretion after 96 h (364 +/- 30 ng/well vs 481 +/- 33 ng/well, P less than 0.001; mean +/- SEM) compared with control cells. The TRH-induced PRL secretion was increased in cells incubated with 1,25(OH)2D3 for 144 h (0.766 +/- 0.061 vs 1.024 +/- 0.076 microgram/well, P less than 0.05; mean +/- SEM) compared with control cells. Neither 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OH-D3) nor 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 had any effects on the PRL secretion. However, when the cells were incubated with both 10(-8) mol/l 1,25(OH)2D3 and 10(-6) mol/l 25OHD3, the enhancing effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on the basal PRL secretion was blunted. The results suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 possibly affects the regulation of PRL release from the rat pituitary and that this effect is specific for 1,25(OH)2D3.