Hypothalamic dopamine and catechol oestrogens in rats with spontaneous pituitary tumours

Dopamine concentration within the hypothalamus and its depletion after the administration of alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine were measured in young rats and compared with values obtained in aged animals with and without spontaneously occurring pituitary tumours. Old rats had significantly reduced hypothalamic dopamine concentrations and there was less depletion of dopamine compared with young animals but there were no differences between tumorous and non-tumorous animals. Hyperprolactinaemia induced in young animals caused a much greater depletion of hypothalamic dopamine than in old tumorous rats with comparable plasma prolactin concentrations. The catechol oestrogen 2-hydroxyoestradiol inhibited the release of prolactin from normal rat pituitary glands in vitro but measurement of catechol oestrogens in the hypothalamus showed no differences between young and old tumorous or non-tumorous rats. It is concluded that reduced dopamine concentration and an impaired response to hyperprolactinaemia in old rats may facilitate the growth of prolactin-secreting tumours arising in the pituitary gland.