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Since the administration of bromocriptine was shown to reduce plasma growth hormone (GH) levels in acromegalic patients (Chiodini et al. 1974) several studies have analysed its efficacy for the long-term control of GH and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels in such patients (Quabbe 1982, Nortier et al. 1984, Bell et al. 1986). However, an analysis of results in a different series on a total of 514 acromegalic patients treated with bromocriptine revealed rather disappointing results (Jaffe & Barkan 1992). Long-term treatment with bromocriptine, 7·5–30 mg/day, lowered GH levels to less than 5 μg/l in 21% of cases and normalized GH and IGF-I levels in about 8% of cases. In addition, suppression of GH hypersecretion is largely dose-dependent, and the usefulness of oral bromocriptine can be limited by side effects.
New dopamine agonists
More potent dopamine agonists, including quinagolide (Norprolac; Sandoz AG, Basel, Switzerland), have recently become available, and two groups
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Dopamine-containing neurons with cell bodies in the arcuate nucleus and axons projecting to the median eminence have been discovered (Fuxe & Hökfelt, 1967) and dopamine (DA) has been shown to evoke discharge of both luteinizing hormonereleasing factor (LRF) (Schneider & McCann, 1969a) and follicle-stimulating hormone-releasing factor (Kamberi, Schneider & McCann, 1969) from hypothalamic fragments incubated in vitro. Injection of DA into the third ventricle (3rd V) of rats increased plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) (Schneider & McCann, 1969b). The present experiments were performed to determine if stimulation of LH release in vivo was brought about by release of LRF.
Hypophysectomized rats were used since LRF has been detected in peripheral blood of hypophysectomized but not intact rats (Nallar & McCann, 1965). Stainless steel cannulae (22 gauge) were implanted into the 3rd V of hypophysectomized adult female Sprague—Dawley rats (Hormone Assay Lab., Chicago). One week or more after implantation of
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The MtTW15 transplantable pituitary tumour grown in rats was tested in vitro for the ability of dopamine agonists to affect prolactin secretion and for the existence of dopamine receptors. Prolactin release from enzymatically dispersed cells and non-enzymatically treated tissue fragments of both the tumour and the anterior pituitary gland was determined in a cell perifusion column apparatus. Dopamine (0·1–5 μmol/l), bromocriptine (50 nmol/l) and the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (100 nmol/l) had no effect on prolactin release from the tumour cells. In contrast, dopamine (500 nmol/l) inhibited prolactin secretion from normal anterior pituitary cells in a parallel cell column and haloperidol blocked this inhibition. Although oestrogen treatment in vivo stimulated prolactin release in vitro when the tumour was removed and studied in the cell column, oestrogen had no effect on the inability of dopamine to modify the prolactin secretion. Growth hormone release from the tumour cells was not affected by dopamine.
Although MtTW15 cells were refractory to dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin release, the dopamine receptors present in tumour homogenates were indistinguishable from the dopamine receptors previously defined in the normal anterior pituitary gland. The binding of the dopamine antagonist [3H]spiperone to the tumour was saturable (110 fmol/mg protein), of high affinity to one apparent class of sites (dissociation constant = 0·12 nmol/l), reversible and sensitive to guanine nucleotides. The pharmacology of the binding was defined in competition studies with a large number of agonists and antagonists. From the order of potency of these agents, a dopaminergic interaction was apparent. We conclude that the prolactin-secreting MtTW15 tumour cells appear to be completely unresponsive to dopamine or to the potent dopamine agonist bromocriptine, in spite of apparently normal dopamine receptors in the tumour.
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Dopamine concentration within the hypothalamus and its depletion after the administration of α-methyl-para-tyrosine were measured in young rats and compared with values obtained in aged animals with and without spontaneously occurring pituitary tumours. Old rats had significantly reduced hypothalamic dopamine concentrations and there was less depletion of dopamine compared with young animals but there were no differences between tumorous and non-tumorous animals. Hyperprolactinaemia induced in young animals caused a much greater depletion of hypothalamic dopamine than in old tumorous rats with comparable plasma prolactin concentrations. The catechol oestrogen 2-hydroxyoestradiol inhibited the release of prolactin from normal rat pituitary glands in vitro but measurement of catechol oestrogens in the hypothalamus showed no differences between young and old tumorous or non-tumorous rats. It is concluded that reduced dopamine concentration and an impaired response to hyperprolactinaemia in old rats may facilitate the growth of prolactin-secreting tumours arising in the pituitary gland.
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ABSTRACT
The effects of dopamine, noradrenaline and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) on the release of prolactin were examined in ovariectomized ewes. Infusion of dopamine (0·5 or 1 μg/kg per min for 2 h i.v.) reduced plasma prolactin concentrations in a dose-dependent manner, whereas DOPAC (5 or 10 μg/kg per min for 2 h i.v.) had no effect. In a further series of experiments, ovariectomized hypothalamo-pituitary disconnected ewes were given dopamine or noradrenaline (each at 0·5 or 1 μg/kg per min for 2 h i.v.), and both amines reduced mean plasma concentrations of prolactin with similar potency in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were blocked by treatment with pimozide and prazosin respectively. During the infusion of dopamine, the peripheral plasma concentrations of DOPAC and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DHPG) were increased (DOPAC, 22 ± 7 (s.e.m.) to 131 ± 11 nmol/l; DHPG, 2·9 ± 0·3 to 6·4 ± 0·2 nmol/l), but plasma concentrations of dopamine and noradrenaline did not change. Finally, administration of domperidone, a specific dopamine receptor antagonist that does not cross the blood-brain barrier, resulted in a sustained increase in plasma prolactin concentrations in ovariectomized ewes. We conclude that the secretion of prolactin from the pituitary gland is under dual inhibitory regulation by both dopamine and noradrenaline in the sheep.
Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 123, 393–402
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ABSTRACT
We have examined the effects of dopamine on prolactin gene expression using quantitative in-situ hybridization histochemistry in different pituitary cell (sub)populations separated according to their density on a discontinuous Percoll gradient. Administration of dopamine resulted in a drastic reduction in hybridization of 35S-labelled DNA probe complementary to prolactin mRNA in total pituitary cells and in lactotrophs with low density. In contrast, dopamine significantly stimulated mRNA accumulation in prolactin-secreting cells with high density compared with other cell layers. The combined use of Percoll gradient and quantitative in-situ hybridization is a valuable and sensitive method with which to examine prolactin-secreting cell response to a given stimulation. Prolactin-secreting cells with high and low density clearly show functional heterogeneity in their response to dopamine.
Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 132, 401–409
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ABSTRACT
It is well known that prolactin secretion is inhibited by dopamine acting via the pituitary dopamine D2 receptor. Dopamine D1 receptor analogues also affect prolactin levels although the mechanisms and physiological significance are poorly understood. The present study of the ewe was undertaken to characterize the effects of the D1 receptor agonist SKF 38393 and antagonist SCH 23390 on prolactin in this species and to determine whether the prolactin response to both drugs requires an intact hypothalamo-pituitary axis. Ovariectomized ewes were injected intravenously with vehicle, 0·2, 2 or 20 mg SKF 38393 (D1 agonist) or SCH 23390 (D1 antagonist). At the 20 mg dose, plasma prolactin concentrations were significantly (P <0·01) increased by each drug and returned within an hour to control levels. When injected directly into the lateral ventricles of the brain (intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection), a 100-fold lower dose of SKF 38393 (0·2 mg; P <0·05) was sufficient to stimulate prolactin secretion. In contrast, i.c.v injection of SCH 23390 (0·02 and 0·2 mg) had no effect on prolactin levels and at no dose was there evidence for suppression of prolactin levels. These results are in accord with earlier studies in the rat which suggested that the D1 agonist stimulated prolactin secretion via a direct effect on central dopamine D1 receptors whereas the
D1 antagonist interacted with the pituitary dopamine D2 receptor to increase prolactin secretion. In a further experiment this hypothesis was tested in hypothalamo-pituitary disconnected ewes which were infused with dopamine (0·5 μg/kg per min) for 3 h. After 2 h of the dopamine infusion, animals were challenged with intravenous injections of the vehicle, 20 mg SKF 38393, 20 mg SCH 23390 or 2 mg domperidone (dopamine D2 antagonist). Infusion of dopamine was followed by a significant (P <0·05) decline in prolactin concentrations so that after 2 h prolactin levels were 40% of the preinfusion value. Following injection of the vehicle, SCH 23390 or SKF 38393, prolactin levels continued to decline for the remainder of the experiment. As expected, injection of domperidone was followed by a significant (P <0·05) increase in prolactin to reach peak levels after 30 min. These results demonstrate that peripheral injections of the dopamine D1 agonist SKF 38393 or antagonist SCH 23390 increase prolactin secretion in the ewe. The prolactin response to either drug requires an intact hypothalamo-pituitary axis indicating that SKF 38393 and SCH 23390 act at some central site(s) which is linked with hypothalamic secretion of prolactin-releasing or -inhibiting factors.
Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 137, 457–464
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ABSTRACT
Infusion of dopamine is reported to reduce the response of aldosterone to infused angiotensin II in sodium-deplete but not sodium-replete man. Six normal male subjects were infused with angiotensin II in graded doses (2, 4 and 8 ng/kg per min) with or without dopamine (1·0 μg/kg per min) during both dietary sodium repletion and depletion. The responses of both aldosterone and 18-hydroxycorticosterone to infusion of angiotensin II appeared to be reduced by dopamine in sodium-deplete, but not sodium-replete, subjects. However, when the relationships between plasma concentrations of angiotensin II and corticosteroid were examined it was evident that plasma concentrations of angiotensin II were lower when dopamine was infused concurrently with the peptide (P<0·05).
In a second study, six sodium-deplete males were infused with angiotensin II at a constant rate (6 ng/kg per min) while dopamine (or placebo) was given in graded doses (0·5,1 and 5 μg/kg per min). Renal plasma flow was estimated from total body clearance of para-aminohippuric acid. Overall, angiotensin II concentrations were lower during dopamine infusion compared with those during infusion of placebo (63·2 ± 9·7 (s.e.m.) vs 92·3±6·4 pmol/l; P<0·01) and this was associated with a 40% increase in effective renal plasma flow (627 ± 68 vs 451 ± 15 ml/min; P < 0·05); there again appeared to be a reduced aldosterone response during combined angiotensin II/dopamine infusion compared with that during infusion of angiotensin II alone (1003 ± 404 vs 1225± 146 pmol/l; 0·05<P<0·1).
Dopamine appeared to increase the metabolic clearance of infused angiotensin II, possibly by altering blood flow through vascular beds, such as renal, which degrade the peptide. This may partly explain the effects of dopamine on the response of the adrenal to infusion of angiotensin II in sodium-deplete man; the physiological role of dopamine in the regulation of corticosteroidogenesis remains speculative.
J. Endocr. (1987) 113, 139–146
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ABSTRACT
The hydrolysis of membrane phosphatidylinositol to yield [3H]labelled inositol phosphates by anterior pituitary cells was stimulated significantly by angiotensin II, TRH and neurotensin over a broad range of concentrations. These secretagogues also stimulated release of prolactin. Although the coincident incubation of dopamine with these agents resulted in a marked diminution of prolactin release, no concomitant reduction in inositol phosphate production was observed. In addition, bromocriptine, a potent agonist of dopamine, also proved ineffective in blunting stimulated phosphatidylinositol catabolism. Although it slightly inhibited basal rates of inositol tris-, bis- and monophosphate production, these results show that the secretagogue-mediated enhancement of phosphatidylinositol catabolism may be correlated with an increased release of prolactin and that the inhibition of hormone release produced by dopamine is not achieved by reducing basal or secretagogue-mediated inositol phosphate production.
J. Endocr. (1986) 110, 389–393
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ABSTRACT
It has previously been shown that dopamine plays a pivotal role in the regulation of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) secretion from the intermediate lobe of the pituitary. In the present study, we have investigated the various intracellular mechanisms that are associated with the action of dopamine on frog pituitary melanotrophs. Dopamine reduced forskolin-stimulated cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production and the inhibitory effect of dopamine was blocked by the dopaminergic D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride. The D2 receptor agonist apomorphine inhibited incorporation of [3H]inositol into membrane phospholipids. Dopamine also inhibited the formation of inositol trisphosphate and provoked accumulation of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate. The inhibitory effect of dopamine on inositol trisphosphate production was mimicked by D2 receptor agonists and blocked by sulpiride. Using a double-wavelength microfluorimetric approach, we found that dopamine caused a rapid and transient decrease in K+-evoked stimulation of intracellular calcium concentration. The timecourses of the responses of the various intracellular messengers indicate that blockage of voltagedependent calcium channels is the primary event associated with activation of dopamine D2 receptors, while inhibition of polyphosphoinositide breakdown, related to blockage of voltage-dependent calcium channels, and reduction of cAMP production are secondary events which may contribute to the sustained inhibitory effect of dopamine on α-MSH release.
Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 136, 421–429
