Long-term effects of neonatal DES treatment on plasma prolactin in female mice

Prolactin was measured with a homologous radioimmunoassay in plasma samples from adult female NMRI mice injected with 5 micrograms diethylstilbestrol (DES females) or olive oil for the first five days after birth. Estradiol treatment of 6-month-old ovariectomized DES females resulted in markedly higher plasma prolactin concentration compared with the conditions in similarly treated but neonatally olive oil injected females; for both groups the concentrations decreased to the same and very low level after treatment with bromocriptine. The results suggest that DES treatment of neonatal mice enhances the capacity of the pituitary to release prolactin in response to estrogen in later life.