Sex-specific regulation of prolactin secretion by pituitary activins in postnatal development

in Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
Alejandra Abeledo-Machado Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Dana Bornancini Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Milagros Peña-Zanoni Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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María Andrea Camilletti Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Erika Yanil Faraoni Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Graciela Díaz-Torga Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7373-6893

Correspondence should be addressed to G Diaz-Torga: gdiaz@ibyme.conicet.gov.ar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/JOE-23-0020
Volume/Issue:
Volume 258: Issue 3
Article Type:
Research Article
Article ID:
e230020
Online Publication Date:
02 Aug 2023
Copyright:
© the author(s) 2023
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Serum prolactin increases from birth to adulthood in rats, being higher in females from birth. The maturation of hypothalamic/gonadal prolactin-releasing and -inhibiting factors does not explain some sex differences observed. During the first weeks of life, prolactin secretion increases, even when lactotrophs are isolated in vitro, in the absence of those controls, suggesting the participation of intra-pituitary factors in this control. The present work aimed to study the involvement of pituitary activins in the regulation of prolactin secretion during post-natal development. Sex differences were also highlighted. Female and male Sprague–Dawley rats at 11, 23 and 45postnatal days were used. Pituitary expression of activin subunits and activin receptors was maximum in p11 female pituitaries, being even higher than that observed in males. Those expressions decrease with age in females, and then the gender differences disappear at p23. Inhbb expression strongly increases at p45 in males, being the predominant subunit in this sex in adulthood. Activin inhibition of prolactin is mediated by the inhibition of Pit-1 expression. This action involves not only the canonical pSMAD pathway but also the phosphorylation of p38MAPK. At p11, almost all lactotrophs express p-p38MAPK in females, and its expression decreases with age with a concomitant increase in Pit-1. Our findings suggest that the inhibitory regulation of pituitary activins on prolactin secretion is sex specific; this regulation is more relevant in females during the first week of life and decreases with age; this intra-pituitary regulation is involved in the sex differences observed in serum prolactin levels during postnatal development.

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Print ISSN:
0022-0795
Online ISSN:
1479-6805
Copyright:
© the author(s) 2023
Article ID:
e230020
Article Type:
Research Article
Received Date:
22 Jan 2023
Accepted Date:
03 Jul 2023
Print Publication Date:
01 Sep 2023
Online Publication Date:
02 Aug 2023
Keywords:
lactotrophs; postnatal development; activins; prolactin; sex differences

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