Effects of domperidone on serum prolactin levels in human beings

Effects of domperidone, a dopaminergic antagonist, on serum prolactin levels were studied in 6 normal men and 6 normal cyclic women at the different phases of their menstrual cycles (i.e., the follicular, the preovulatory and the luteal phases). Domperidone (10 mg, i.v.) caused significant increases in serum prolactin in all cases within 15 min after the injection. The prolactin response was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in women than in men, and there was no significant difference in the prolactin responses among the three phases of the menstrual cycles. These results indicate that domperidone may be an effective stimulator of serum prolactin secretion in human beings.