Arachidonic acid and its lipoxygenase metabolites stimulate prolactin release in superfused pituitary cells.

The direct effect of leukotrienes and other lipoxygenase products on prolactin release has been assessed. Arachidonic acid and its lipoxygenase metabolites 5-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) and 15-hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetranoic acid (15-HETE) stimulated the release of prolactin in superfused rat pituitary cells in a dose-dependent manner. Leukotrienes (LT) A4, B4, C4 and E4 provoked a very marked biphasic and dose-dependent secretion of prolactin from superfused cells. Maximal effects were achieved with leukotrienes at a concentration of 3 X 10(-11) to 3 X 10(-10) M but LTD4 did not affect peptide release under these conditions. The metabolites were more potent than arachidonic acid in affecting hormone secretion. Pulses of 4 minutes duration of these fatty acids may even elicit a more pronounced response than thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH). Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA 10(-6) M), a lipoxygenase inhibitor, prevented the effect of arachidonic acid on peptide secretion. Repeated TRH (10(-7) M) administration to pituitary cells led to a reduction in cell response, which may also be observed in cells pre-treated with pulsatile 5-HETE or 15-HETE. These data support previous findings that arachidonic acid and its lipoxygenase metabolites may play a role in the secretory mechanism of prolactin release in pituitary cells.