A reduction in voluntary physical activity in early pregnancy in mice is mediated by prolactin

As part of the maternal adaptations to pregnancy, mice show a rapid, profound reduction in voluntary running wheel activity (RWA) as soon as pregnancy is achieved. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that prolactin, one of the first hormones to change secretion pattern following mating, is involved in driving this suppression of physical activity levels during pregnancy. We show that prolactin can acutely suppress RWA in non-pregnant female mice, and that conditional deletion of prolactin receptors (Prlr) from either most forebrain neurons or from GABA neurons prevented the early pregnancy-induced suppression of RWA. Deletion of Prlr specifically from the medial preoptic area, a brain region associated with multiple homeostatic and behavioural roles including parental behaviour, completely abolished the early pregnancy-induced suppression of RWA. As pregnancy progresses, prolactin action continues to contribute to the further suppression of RWA, although it is not the only factor involved. Our data demonstrate a key role for prolactin in suppressing voluntary physical activity during early pregnancy, highlighting a novel biological basis for reduced physical activity in pregnancy.

Pathologic Characteristics of Pregnancy-Related Meningiomas

Meningiomas are the most common intracranial tumor. During pregnancy, explosive growth of a known meningioma occasionally occurs, but the underlying reasons remain unknown. Prolactin has been suggested as a possible key contributor to pregnancy-related meningioma growth. This study sets out to investigate prolactin and prolactin receptor status in 29 patients with pregnancy-related meningiomas in Denmark, from January 1972 to December 2016, as compared to 68 controls aged 20–45 years, also undergoing resection of a meningioma. Furthermore, we investigated potential differences in the progesterone and estrogen receptor statuses, WHO grade, Ki-67 labeling indices, and locations of the resected meningiomas between the cases and controls. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed, and histopathology and intracranial location were assessed with the investigator blinded for the case–control status. None of the samples stained positive for prolactin and very few samples stained positive for prolactin receptors, equally distributed among cases and controls. Estrogen and progesterone receptors generally followed the same distributional pattern between groups, whereas above cut-point Ki-67 labeling indices for both groups were observed. In conclusion, our results did not support the notion of prolactin as a key contributor to pregnancy-related meningioma growth. Rather, the similarities between the cases and controls suggest that meningiomas early in life may comprise a distinct biological entity.

Localization of Receptors for Sex Steroids and Pituitary Hormones in the Female Genital Duct throughout the Reproductive Cycle of a Viviparous Gymnophiona Amphibian, Typhlonectes compressicauda

Reproduction in vertebrates is controlled by the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis, and both the sex steroid and pituitary hormones play a pivotal role in the regulation of the physiology of the oviduct and events occurring within the oviduct. Their hormonal actions are mediated through interaction with specific receptors. Our aim was to locate α and β estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, gonadotropin and prolactin receptors in the tissues of the oviduct of Typhlonectes compressicauda (Amphibia, Gymnophiona), in order to study the correlation between the morphological changes of the genital tract and the ovarian cycle. Immunohistochemical methods were used. We observed that sex steroids and pituitary hormones were involved in the morpho-functional regulation of oviduct, and that their cellular detection was dependent on the period of the reproductive cycle.

A reduction in voluntary physical activity during pregnancy in mice is mediated by prolactin

As part of the maternal adaptations to pregnancy, mice show a rapid, profound reduction in voluntary running wheel activity (RWA) as soon as pregnancy is achieved. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that prolactin, one of the first hormones to change secretion pattern following mating, is involved in driving this suppression of physical activity levels during pregnancy. We show that prolactin can acutely suppress RWA in virgin female mice, and that conditional deletion of prolactin receptors (Prlr) from either all forebrain neurons or from GABA neurons prevented the early pregnancy-induced suppression of RWA. Deletion of Prlr specifically from the medial preoptic area, a brain region associated with multiple homeostatic and behavioural roles including parental behaviour, completely abolished the early pregnancy-induced suppression of RWA. Our data demonstrate a key role for prolactin in suppressing voluntary physical activity during early pregnancy, highlighting a novel biological basis for reduced physical activity in pregnancy.

Endometriosis disease: the patogenetic role of hormone resepters and methods of diagnosis

This review summarizes current literature data taken from the information bases of elibrary and pubmed, on hormone receptors, which participate or have a significant impact on the pathogenesis of endometrial disease according to new data sources. They include estrogen receptors (ERa; ERe), progesterone receptors (PRA; PRB), prolactin receptors (PLR), anti-mullerian hormone receptor (AMHR2), kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) and melatonin receptor (MR). It was established that expression of ERe genes is up-regulated in heterotopy, whereas ERa expression is lower compared to normal tissue. The progesterone receptor is of great interest for study because of inconsistent data on its expression. Receptors for anti-mullerian hormone hormone is no less significant in the study of the pathogenesis of the disease, since AMH stimulates apoptosis in endometrioid cells, limiting their expansion. The most controversial role in endometriosis belongs to prolactin receptors, some authors believe that in endometriosis, a decrease in expression of PLR is observed, while in other articles an increase of expression is postulated. It has been shown that in patients with endometriosis, the expression of the KISS1R is reduced in the endometrium. The data on the expression of melatonin and its receptors in endometriosis is absence.

Bovine mammary gland development: new insights into the epithelial hierarchy

Milk production is highly dependent on the extensive development of the mammary epithelium, which occurs during puberty. It is therefore essential to distinguish the epithelial cells committed to development during this key stage from the related epithelial hierarchy. Using cell phenotyping and sorting, we highlighted three sub-populations that we assume to be progenitors. The CD49fhighCD24neg cells expressing KRT14, vimentin and PROCR corresponded to basal progenitors whereas the CD49flowCD24neg cells expressing luminal KRT, progesterone and prolactin receptors, were of luminal lineage. The CD49flowCD24pos cells had features of a dual lineage, with luminal and basal characteristics (CD10, ALDH1 and KRT7 expression) and were considered to be early common (bipotent) progenitors. The mammary stem cell (MaSC) fraction was recovered in a fourth sub-population of CD49fhighCD24pos cells that expressed CD10/KRT14 and KRT7. The differential ALDH1 activities observed within the MaSC fraction allowed to discriminate between two states: quiescent MaSCs and lineage-restricted “activated” MaSCs. The in-depth characterization of these epithelial sub-populations provides new insights into the epithelial cell hierarchy in the bovine mammary gland and suggests a common developmental hierarchy in mammals.