Prolactin, Other Hormones, and Pituitary Gland Dysfunction
The pituitary gland is a small gland located at the base of the brain, but it plays a major role in controlling the body’s hormonal system. It produces several important hormones, including prolactin, growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Through these hormones, the pituitary influences growth, reproduction, thyroid function, stress responses, and breast-milk production. Prolactin and Its Regulation Prolactin is best known for stimulating breast-milk production after childbirth. It is produced mainly by lactotroph cells in the anterior pituitary gland, although prolactin can also be produced locally in tissues such as the uterus, mammary glands, immune system, and parts of the nervous system. Prolactin secretion is unusual because it is normally kept under inhibition by dopamine, a neurotransmitter released by the hypothalamus. Dopamine signals the pituitary...