Expression of Prolactin-Receptor mRNA in Mammary Adenocarcinoma of a F344 Rat.

Abstract

Both long and short forms of Prolactin-receptor (PRL-R) mRNA were detected in a spontaneous mammary adenocarcinoma of an aged female F344 rat, using sensitive techniques, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and in situ hybridization (ISH). Amplified products of the long form of PRL-R were markedly identified by RT-PCR, and the mRNA was diffusely exhibited in the cytoplasm of neoplastic epithelium by ISH. Additionally, the long form of PRL-R mRNA was exhibited in the normal mammary tissue surrounding the neoplasm. However, amplified products of the short form of PRL-R were weakly detected by RT-PCR, and the mRNA was not detected in either normal tissue or the neoplasm by ISH. PRL-R mRNA was detected in the rat spontaneous malignant mammary neoplasm and the long form of PRL-R was more highly expressed than the short form.