Hamster prolactin: Physiological changes in blood and pituitary concentrations as measured by a homologous radioimmunoassay

K. T. Borer, R. P. Kelch, K. Corley

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

A specific and sensitive homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) for determination of hamster prolactin is described and compared to heterologous hamster prolactin RIA and to the homologous and heterologous RIAs for rat prolactin. With this method, we have determined that, in the golden hamster, diurnal plasma prolactin fluctuations have a mean interpeak interval of 1.5 h, that serum prolactin concentrations are influenced by day length, by ether vapors, by animal’s gender, and by refeeding following a fast but not by neurosurgical procedures which increase somatic growth and serum GH concentration in adult hamsters. Variations in day length influenced pituitary prolactin content and concentration, and pituitary removal abolished prolactin secretory responses to ether stress. A heterologous RIA for hamster prolactin which utilizes radioiodinated rat prolactin and rabbit antihamster prolactin serum (RK1–15) represents the most advantageous method for the measurement of hamster prolactin because of its high sensitivity (0.14 ng/ml), high antiserum binding to iodinated rat prolactin, and the ability to measure both hamster and rat prolactin.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)13-21
Number of pages9
JournalNeuroendocrinology
Volume35
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1982

Keywords

  • Ether stress
  • Hamster prolactin
  • Hippocampal transections
  • Hypophysectomy
  • Photoperiod
  • Pulsatile release
  • Refeeding
  • Septal lesions
  • Starvation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology
  • Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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