Comparison of the effect of prolactin on dopamine release from the rat dorsal and ventral striatum and from the mediobasal hypothalamus superfused in vitro.

In this paper, by means of a superfusion technique, we have examined the effect of ovine prolactin on dopaminergic neurons innervating the dorsal striatum, ventral striatum and the mediobasal hypothalamus of male rats. Fragments from dorsal striatum were superfused with ovine prolactin dissolved in normal medium (Krebs-Ringer phosphate) or medium containing tetrodotoxin (TTX, 10(-6) M). Ovine prolactin stimulated the in vitro release of dopamine from dorsal and ventral striatal fragments. In dorsal striatal fragments a linear dose-dependent dopamine release was observed only when fragments were superfused with Krebs-Ringer phosphate-TTX medium. In addition, [Leu5]enkephalin (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) decreased the prolactin-induced in vitro dopamine release from dorsal striatal fragments superfused with Krebs-Ringer phosphate-TTX medium. Ovine prolactin (10(-9)-10(-5) M) did not elicit changes in dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid or 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid outputs from mediobasal hypothalamic fragments superfused with Krebs-Ringer phosphate medium containing TTX. The possible regulatory mechanisms of ovine prolactin on dopaminergic neurons are discussed.