Does the brain make prolactin?

Abstract

The prolactin receptor (Prlr) is widely expressed in the brain, particularly in the hypothalamus. Prolactin also has an increasing range of well-characterised effects on central nervous system function. Because of this, over many years, there has been interest in whether the hormone itself is also expressed within the brain, perhaps acting as a neuropeptide to regulate brain function via its receptor in neurons. The aim of this invited review is to critically evaluate the evidence for brain production of prolactin. Unlike the evidence for the Prlr, evidence for brain prolactin is inconsistent and variable. A range of different antibodies have been used, each characterising a different distribution of prolactin-like immunoreactivity. Prolactin mRNA has been detected in the brain, but only at levels markedly lower than seen in the pituitary gland. Importantly, it has largely only been detected by highly sensitive amplification-based techniques, and the extreme sensitivity means there is a risk of false-positive data. Modern in situ hybridisation methods and single-cell RNA sequencing have not provided supporting evidence, but it is hard to prove a negative! Finally, I acknowledge and discuss the possibility that prolactin might be produced in the brain under specific circumstances, such as to promote a neuroprotective response to cell damage. Collectively, however, based on this analysis, I have formed the opinion that brain production of prolactin is unlikely, and even if occurs, it is of little physiological consequence. Most, if not all of the brain actions of prolactin can be explained by pituitary prolactin gaining access to the brain.