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Endogenous opiates block dopamine inhibition of prolactin secretion in vitro

Nature volume 280, pages 595–597 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

OPIATES stimulate prolactin secretion in vivo; plasma prolactin levels are increased by morphine administration in normal1 and steroid-primed male rats2, as well as in immature3 and oestrogen-treated female rats4. Met-enkephalin and β-endorphin were also stimulatory1–6 as were enkephalin analogues3,7,8. Naloxone or naltrexone, specific opiate antagonists, reduce basal prolactin levels when given alone1,3,9, and block, at least partially, the effect of opiate agonists1–4,7,8. None of these drugs is active in vitro when tested alone on anterior pituitaries3 or dispersed pituitary cells2,4. However, as we have previously shown in a preliminary experiment, the inhibitory effect of dopamine on prolactin secretion in vitro was antagonised by the addition of morphine to the incubation medium10. In the present work, we have attempted to clarify further the mode of interaction of opiates with prolactin secretion. We confirmed that morphine, Met-enkephalin and β-endorphin do not affect the spontaneous release of prolactin in vitro, but found that they suppress the inhibitory effect of dopamine on prolactin release. We have also characterised the specificity and the kinetics of this interaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité 159 de Neuroendocrinologie, Centre Paul Broca de l'INSERM, 2ter rue d'Alésia, 75014, Paris, France

    A. ENJALBERT, M. RUBERG, S. ARANCIBIA, M. PRIAM & C. KORDON

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  1. A. ENJALBERT
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  2. M. RUBERG
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  4. M. PRIAM
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ENJALBERT, A., RUBERG, M., ARANCIBIA, S. et al. Endogenous opiates block dopamine inhibition of prolactin secretion in vitro. Nature 280, 595–597 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/280595a0

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