-transparent.png){kind=logo}
Prolactin is an important osmoregulatory hormone in several lower vertebrate species. The present study was undertaken to clarify the effects of prolactin, if any, on human renal function. Eight normal adult male subjects on a 150 mEq sodium (Na), 60 mEq potassium (K) diet for 5 days were studied during 12 h of oral water (H2O) loading on 2 consecutive days. On day 1, after a 6 h control period, a 1 ml normal saline placebo was given im; on day 2, 25 mg of ovine prolactin (OP) was substituted. The subjects were supine and received a constant infusion of Na and K. After OP, serum prolactin rose from 6.9+/-0.8 ng/ml to 15.0+/-2.5 ng/ml (P less than .01) at 1 h, 27.6+/-4.0 ng/ml (P less than .002) at 2 h, 33.1+/-4.3 ng/ml (P less than .001) at 3 h and remained elevated for the remaining 3 h of study. The ovine prolactin had 20-25% of the potency of human prolactin in the human prolactin radioimmunoassay system. In response to OP, free H2O clearance (CH2O) promptly decreased from 10.1 +/- .06 ml/min to 6.1 +/- .05 ml/min (P less than 0.1) at 1 h, to a nadir of 5.1+/-.3 ml/min (P less than .001) at 2 h, and returned to control levels by 4 h. CH2O was unchanged after placebo, and urinary Na and K excretion, creatinine and osmolar clearance (COSM), plasma Na, K, osmolality and aldosterone were unchanged after OP or placebo. Control plasma vasopressin was 1.0+/-0.1 micronU/ml and was not changed after prolactin (1.1+/-0.1 micronU/ml at 1 h, 1.1+/-0.1 micronU/ml at 2 h and 1.1+/-0.1 micronU/ml at 3 h). The ovine prolactin contained 2 micronU of immunoassayable vasopressin per microng of powder. Aqueous vasopressin, 50 mU (containing in 25 mg of ovine prolactin), produced a decrease in CH2O not significantly different from prolactin in 6 water loaded subjects. Four different subjects given 100 mg of OP had decreased CH2O from 8.3+/-0.3 to 2.7+/-0.7 ml/min at 1 h (P less than .001) and to 2.8+/-0.7 ml/min at 2 h (P less than .01). Control plasma osmolality was 301+/-4 mOsm/1 and decreased to a maximum of 288+/-5 mOsm/1 4 h after OP (P less than .001). After prolactin administration, plasma vasopressin rose from 0.44+/-0.15 to 0.80+/-0.41 micronU/ml (P =NS) at 1 h. The transient antidiuresis in response to ovine prolactin is due to contamination of the preparation with vasopressin. Prolactin does not acutely influence renal electrolyte excretion and probably does not influence water excretion in man.
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
June 1975,
IRCS journal of medical science,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
August 1987,
Kidney international. Supplement,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
December 1963,
The Australian journal of experimental biology and medical science,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
November 1977,
Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
August 1967,
Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
October 1953,
Surgical forum,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
April 1968,
The Journal of laboratory and clinical medicine,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
January 1972,
Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics,
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
June 1958,
Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946),
R M Carey, and
A J Johanson, and
S M Seif
June 1965,
Archives internationales de pharmacodynamie et de therapie,
