Abstract
Prolactin is a peptide hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. A specific cell type, the lactotroph, is responsible for prolactin biosynthesis and secretion. The only established role of prolactin is to initiate and maintain lactation. Prolactin levels rise progressively with pregnancy and peak at term (100–300 μg/1) [1]. Lactation begins when estradiol levels fall at parturition. The nursing stimulus effectively promotes acute prolactin release via afferent spinal neural pathways and, within 20–30 minutes of nursing, prolactin levels increase 60-fold [2]. With established nursing, nipple stimulation itself elicits progressively less prolactin release, and in the weeks following initiation of lactation both basal and nursing-stimulated prolactin pulses decrease [2]. Within 4–6 months postpartum, basal prolactin levels are normal without a nursing-induced rise, despite continued lactation.KeywordsProlactin LevelSerum ProlactinProlactin SecretionSerum Prolactin LevelProlactin ReleaseThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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