Failure of acute changes in prolactin to affect DHEA-S secretion in the human

To investigate whether acute changes in prolactin secretion affect adrenal androgen secretion, serum prolactin and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations were determined in seven normal women following the administration of chlorpromazine and L-dopa. The changes in plasma prolactin and DHEA-S concentrations over a four-hour period were compared to those in control experiments in which four of the women received placebo alone. Following the administration of chlorpromazine, plasma prolactin concentrations increased four-fold above pretreatment concentrations, reaching a maximum at 120 minutes. Following L-dopa, plasma prolactin concentrations decreased by greater than 50%, with the nadir noted within 90 minutes. Despite these acute changes in prolactin secretion, plasma DHEA-S concentrations remained unchanged. These results, therefore, strongly suggest that acute changes in prolactin secretion have no affect on adrenal androgen secretion.