Book Description

Prolactin Secretion: A Multidisciplinary Approach covers the proceedings of the 1982 symposium on the frontiers and perspective of prolactin secretion through a multidisciplinary approach, convened in Nabor Carrillo Hall of the Natural University of Mexico. The symposium represents a genuine interdisciplinary effort to provide insights into the complexities of prolactin. Separating 24 manuscripts into chapters, this book first discusses studies on the molecular evolution of prolactin (PRL) and the related growth hormones and placental lactogens and the relevance of these studies for biological research on PRL, with particular emphasis on PRL secretion. Significant topics on the physiology, biochemistry, synthesis regulation, structure, function, glycoconjugates, gene expression control, regulatory, and control mechanisms of PRL and its secretion are considered in the subsequent chapters. This book also examines the action(s) of dopamine on the PRL-producing cells, the effects of his-pro diketopiperazine on PRL secretion, and the role of cellular phospholipids and the Ca2+-calmodulin system as modulators of PRL release. The effect of the suckling stimulus on the induction of PRL release in different reproductive states and the role of PRL in parental behavior in selected species of mammals and birds are also considered. The concluding chapters describe the morphologic features of abnormal lactotrophs, the in vivo and in vitro secretory activity exhibited by different types of pituitary adenomas and hyperprolactinemia. This book serves as an important reference for a wide range of investigators and advanced medical students who are engaged in the study of basic and clinical prolactin physiology.