Effects of erythropoietin administration on prolactin secretion in normal subjects

To evaluate the acute effect of human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) on basal and stimulated prolactin (PRL) secretion, 18 normal subjects (12 females, 6 males) were studied. The PRL response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 200 micrograms intravenously, n = 7), metoclopramide (MCP, 20 mg intravenously, n = 5) and fenfluramine (FF, 60 mg os, n = 6) was tested in presence of saline or r-HuEPO (30 U/kg intravenously). The drug neither modified basal PRL levels nor affected the normal PRL release to TRH, MCP and FF. Our results indicate that, in normal subjects, the acute administration of therapeutic doses of r-HuEPO does not interfere with PRL secretion both after a direct pituitary stimulus and after stimuli involving dopaminergic and serotoninergic pathways.