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Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 4, 898-905, April 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Bioactivity of prolactin isoforms: lactation and recovery of menses in nursing women

C. Campino1, C. Torres2, S. Ampuero2, S. Díaz2,3, G.B. González1 and M. Serón-Ferré2,4

1 Departamento de Endocrinología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, 2 Unidad de Reproducción y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D and 3 Instituto Chileno de Medicina Reproductiva, José Ramón Gutierrez 295, Departamento 3, Santiago, Chile

To assess whether plasma prolactin (PRL) characteristics relate to lactogenesis and absence or presence of menstrual cycles, we measured bioactive PRL (BIO-PRL) using the Nb2 assay, immunoreactive PRL (IR-PRL) by radioimmunoassay, calculated equations describing the BIO-PRL–IR-PRL relationship and separated charged PRL isoforms (by chromatofocusing) in five amenorrhoeic and five cycling nursing women at 6 months postpartum and in 10 cycling non-nursing women. Plasma samples were drawn before and 30 min after a suckling episode at 0800, 1600 and 2400 h in nursing women and at the same hours in non-nursing women. BIO-PRL and IR-PRL concentrations were highest in amenorrhoeic nursing women, intermediate in cycling nursing women and lowest in cycling non-nursing women. The BIO-PRL–IR-PRL relationship shows that a given amount of IR-PRL corresponds to equivalent amounts of BIO-PRL in cycling nursing and cycling non-nursing women, and to a larger extent in amenorrhoeic nursing women. IR-PRL was present in plasma as several charge isoforms. Bioactive isoforms eluting at pH 6.0–5.1 were found in amenorrhoeic and cycling nursing women, reaching similar concentrations after suckling. Bioactive isoforms eluting at pH 7.0–6.1 were found only in amenorrhoeic nursing women. We speculate that isoforms eluting at pH 6.0–5.1 may play a role in lactation and isoforms eluting at pH 7.0–6.1, in lactational amenorrhoea.

Key words: lactation/lactational amenorrhoea/prolactin isoforms

4 To whom correspondence should be addressed


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