Abstract
Summary
Acute and long-term changes in pituitary prolactin and mammary nucleic acids of rats following induction of pseudopregnancy by cervical vibration were investigated. After maintaining a constant level (0.045-0.047 IU/mg) between 0 and 16 hr of stimulation, prolactin concentration declined progressively to the lowest level (0.012 IU/mg) on day 10 of pseudopregnancy. This decrease was followed by substantial increases in DNA and RNA contents of the mammary gland. Pituitary prolactin and mammary nucleic acid content were highly but negatively correlated. The data suggest that prolactin in rats may be involved in mammogenesis and luteal function during pseudopregnancy.
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