[Blood prolactin during gestation in the rat on a normal or protein-deficient diet]

A proteinoprive diet decreases the number of implantation during gestation in the rat. This defect could be partially prevented by oestrogen and progesterone. Human chorionic gonadotropin and gonadotropin releasing hormone are ineffective. We have investigated the potential role of prolactine (PRL) in this situation. In rat fed with a normal diet a peak of PRL was observed in the 5th day of gestation (47 ng/ml vs 15 ng/ml). This peak did not occur in animal fed with proteinoprive diet. (4 ng/ml). It is suggested that impaired PRL secretion may participated to the decreased number of implantation during malnutrition.