TY - JOUR
T1 - TGFβ1 regulates prolactin secretion during postnatal development
T2 - Gender differences
AU - Abeledo-Machado, Alejandra
AU - Pérez, Pablo Anibal
AU - Camilletti, María Andrea
AU - Faraoni, Erika Yanil
AU - Picech, Florencia
AU - Petiti, Juan Pablo
AU - Gutiérrez, Silvina
AU - Diaz-Torga, Graciela
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica, Buenos Aires, Argentina (grant PICT 2016 N0252 to G D T; grant PICT 2017 N0072 to G D T), René Barón Fundation (to G D T), and Williams Fundation (to G D T).
Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica, Buenos Aires, Argentina (grant P 阀CT 2016 N0252 to G D T; grant P 阀CT 2017 N0072 to G D T), René Barón Fundation (to G D T), and Williams
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Society for Endocrinology Published by Bioscientifica Ltd. Printed in Great Britain
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - Serum prolactin levels gradually increase from birth to puberty in both male and female rats, with higher levels observed in female since the first days of life. The increase in lactotroph secretion was attributed to the maturation of prolactin-inhibiting and prolactin-releasing factors; however, those mechanisms could not fully explain the gender differences observed. Prolactin secretion from isolated lactotrophs, in the absence of hypothalamic control, also increases during the first weeks of life, suggesting the involvement of intra-pituitary factors. We postulate that pituitary transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) is involved in the regulation of prolactin secretion as well as in the gender differences observed at early postnatal age. Several components of the local TGFβ1 system were evaluated during postnatal development (11, 23, and 45 days) in female and male Sprague-Dawley rats. In vivo assays were performed to study local TGFβ1 activation and its impact on prolactin secretion. At day 11, female pituitaries present high levels of active TGFβ1, concomitant with the highest expression of TGFβ1 target genes and the phospho-Smad3 immunostaining in lactotrophs. The steady increase in prolactin secretion inversely correlates with active TGFβ1 levels only in females. Dopamine and estradiol induce TGFβ1 activation at day 11, in both genders, but its activation induces the inhibition of prolactin secretion only in females. Our findings demonstrate that: (1) TGFβ1 activation is regulated by dopamine and estradiol; (2) the inhibitory regulation of local TGFβ1 on prolactin secretion is gender specific; and (3) this mechanism is responsible, at least partially, for the gender differences observed being relevant during postnatal development.
AB - Serum prolactin levels gradually increase from birth to puberty in both male and female rats, with higher levels observed in female since the first days of life. The increase in lactotroph secretion was attributed to the maturation of prolactin-inhibiting and prolactin-releasing factors; however, those mechanisms could not fully explain the gender differences observed. Prolactin secretion from isolated lactotrophs, in the absence of hypothalamic control, also increases during the first weeks of life, suggesting the involvement of intra-pituitary factors. We postulate that pituitary transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) is involved in the regulation of prolactin secretion as well as in the gender differences observed at early postnatal age. Several components of the local TGFβ1 system were evaluated during postnatal development (11, 23, and 45 days) in female and male Sprague-Dawley rats. In vivo assays were performed to study local TGFβ1 activation and its impact on prolactin secretion. At day 11, female pituitaries present high levels of active TGFβ1, concomitant with the highest expression of TGFβ1 target genes and the phospho-Smad3 immunostaining in lactotrophs. The steady increase in prolactin secretion inversely correlates with active TGFβ1 levels only in females. Dopamine and estradiol induce TGFβ1 activation at day 11, in both genders, but its activation induces the inhibition of prolactin secretion only in females. Our findings demonstrate that: (1) TGFβ1 activation is regulated by dopamine and estradiol; (2) the inhibitory regulation of local TGFβ1 on prolactin secretion is gender specific; and (3) this mechanism is responsible, at least partially, for the gender differences observed being relevant during postnatal development.
KW - Gender differences
KW - Lactotrophs
KW - Postnatal development
KW - Prolactin
KW - TGFβ1
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U2 - 10.1530/JOE-20-0041
DO - 10.1530/JOE-20-0041
M3 - Article
C2 - 32302971
AN - SCOPUS:85084873508
SN - 0022-0795
VL - 246
SP - 29
EP - 39
JO - Journal of Endocrinology
JF - Journal of Endocrinology
IS - 1
ER -