Review
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Current Insights in Prolactin Signaling and Ovulatory Function in Health and Disease
Version 1
: Received: 11 January 2024 / Approved: 11 January 2024 / Online: 11 January 2024 (16:35:58 CET)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Szukiewicz, D. Current Insights in Prolactin Signaling and Ovulatory Function. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 1976. Szukiewicz, D. Current Insights in Prolactin Signaling and Ovulatory Function. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 1976.
Abstract
Prolactin (PRL) is a pleiotropic hormone released from lactotrophic cells of the anterior pituitary gland that also originates from extrapituitary sources and plays an important role in regulating lactation in mammals, as well as other actions. Acting in an endocrine and paracrine/autocrine manner, PRL regulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, thus influencing the maturation of ovarian follicles and ovulation. This review provides a detailed discussion of the current knowledge on the role of PRL in the context of ovulation and ovulatory disorders, particularly with regard to hyperprolactinemia, which is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. Much attention has been given to the PRL structure and the PRL receptor (PRLR), as well as the diverse functions of PRLR signaling under normal and pathological conditions. The hormonal regulation of the menstrual cycle in connection with folliculogenesis and ovulation, as well as the current classifications of ovulation disorders, are also described. Finally, the state of knowledge regarding the importance of TIDA (tuberoinfundibular dopamine), KNDγ (kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin) and GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) neurons in PRL- and kisspeptin (KP)-dependent regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in women is reviewed. Based on this review, a rationale for influencing PRL signaling pathways in therapeutic activities accompanying ovulation disorders is presented.
Keywords
prolactin; prolactin receptor; prolactin signaling; hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis; ovulation; ovulatory disorders; hyperprolactinemia; tuberoinfundibular dopamine (TIDA) neurons; kisspeptin; gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons.
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Reproductive Medicine
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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