Prolactin is a protein hormone of the anterior pituitary gland that was originally named for its ability to promote lactation in response to the suckling stimulus of hungry young mammals. We now know that prolactin is not as simple as originally described. Indeed, chemically, prolactin appears in a multiplicity of posttranslational forms ranging from size variants to chemical modifications such as phosphorylation or glycosylation. It is not only synthesized in the pituitary gland, as originally described, but also within the central nervous system, the immune system, the uterus and its associated tissues of conception, and even the mammary gland itself. Moreover, its biological actions are not limited solely to reproduction because it has been shown to control a variety of behaviors and even play a role in homeostasis. Prolactin-releasing stimuli not only include the nursing stimulus, but light, audition, olfaction, and stress can serve a stimulatory role. Finally, although it is well known that dopamine of hypothalamic origin provides inhibitory control over the secretion of prolactin, other factors within the brain, pituitary gland, and peripheral organs have been shown to inhibit or stimulate prolactin secretion as well. It is the purpose of this review to provide a comprehensive survey of our current understanding of prolactin's function and its regulation and to expose some of the controversies still existing.

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Prolactin: Structure, Function, and Regulation of Secretion

▪Purpose:To critically review the risks and benefits of hormone therapy for asymptomatic postmenopausal women who are considering long-term hormone therapy to prevent disease or to prolong...

Hormone Therapy To Prevent Disease and Prolong Life in Postmenopausal Women

studydesign,size,duration: This guideline was produced by a group of experts in the field using the methodology of the Manual for ESHRE Guideline Development, including a thorough systematic search of the literature, quality assessment of the included papers up to January 2012 and consensus within the guideline group on all recommendations. To ensure input from women with endometriosis, a patient representative was part of the guideline development group. In addition, patient and additional clinical input was collected during the scoping and review phase of the guideline.

/pdf/eshre-guideline-management-of-women-with-endometriosis-27txt9547p.pdf

ESHRE guideline: management of women with endometriosis

Endometriosis

I. Introduction IN THE adult ovary, folliculogenesis starts when follicles leave the pool of resting follicles (RF) to enter the growth phase. From there, the early growing follicle undergoes a developmental process including a dramatic course of cellular proliferation and differentiation. In primates, only one follicle commonly reaches the preovulatory stage every cycle; most follicles fail to complete this maturation scheme, dying in the process termed atresia. In recent years, a picture has emerged depicting the classic endocrine control of ovarian function by LH and FSH, entangled in a maze of regulatory systems hinging on cell-cell interactions between follicular cells, via action of a variety of molecules (1–3). Different types of cell-cell interactions have been described. In paracrine regulations, a molecule synthesized by one cellular type is released into the interstitial milieu to act directly on another cellular type. In autocrine regulations, molecules synthesized by one cellular type are rel...

/pdf/regulation-of-ovarian-follicular-development-in-primates-4srrm0fi7f.pdf

Regulation of ovarian follicular development in primates: facts and hypotheses.

Influence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and hCG internalization by granulosa cells on the rate of in vitro fertilization and embryonic development of human oocytes

Danazol treatment of endometriosis-associated pain.

Defined as the presence of functional endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, endometriosis is a chronic and recurrent disease that affects 7–10% of reproductive-age women, causing pain, infertility or both, resulting in serious life disruption, emotional and physical suffering, and decreased productivity. The observation that endometriosis is more common in women with early menarche, polymenorrhea, outflow genital tract obstruction or a family history of disease suggests that its development depends on the complex interaction of genetic, immunological, environmental and hormonal factors. Current therapies for the management of endometriosis are medical, surgical or both. Medical therapies induce a hypoestrogenic state to reduce menstrual flow and apoptosis of endometriotic lesions. They include androgenic or progestational compounds and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, which are comparably effective but have very different adverse-effect profiles. Consequently, the choice of which medical t...

/pdf/pain-associated-with-endometriosis-therapeutic-options-219wetvp3e.pdf

Pain associated with endometriosis: therapeutic options.

Effects of estrone sulfate alone or with medroxyprogesterone acetate on serum lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women

Study Objective: To investigate the effects of two forms of exercise, endurance training (running) and resistance training (weight lifting), on reproductive function in male athletes. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Reproductive Endocrinology and Exercise Laboratory. Subjects: Twenty-eight healthy male volunteers, 18 to 35 years of age, including 10 endurancetrained runners, 8 resistance-trained weight-lifters, and 10 sedentary controls. Main Outcome Measure(s): Hormonal evaluation included determination of plasma levels of total testosterone (T), serum levels of free T, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and estradiol, and urinary excretion of LH

Anthony A. Luciano

Papers

Influence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and hCG internalization by granulosa cells on the rate of in vitro fertilization and embryonic development of human oocytes

Danazol treatment of endometriosis-associated pain.

Pain associated with endometriosis: therapeutic options.

Effects of estrone sulfate alone or with medroxyprogesterone acetate on serum lipoprotein levels in postmenopausal women

Subclinical alterations in hormone and semen profile in athletes