Rapid elevation of plasminogen activator activity in rat tissues by prolactin

Administration of ovine prolactin resulted in a rapid and significant induction of plasminogen activator activity within two hours in the rat adrenal gland, heart, aorta and liver. Prolactin exposure reduced baseline proteolytic activity in lung and skeletal muscle at 6-8 hours following hormonal challenge. This was coincident with a return toward baseline levels in enzyme activity demonstrated in other tissues. Pretreatment with actinomycin D or cycloheximide ameliorated the enzymic induction in the liver and adrenal and partially inhibited the aortic response. These data suggest that prolactin exposure leads to increased proteolytic activity through de novo biosynthesis in a variety of solid organs. In addition, pro-enzyme activation may also occur in vascular tissue.