Relationships between serum prolactin levels and follicle stimulating hormone response to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone during early puerperium.

The effect of serum prolactin (Prl) levels on pituitary response to iv luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) (100 micrograms) was studied in 23 normal puerperal women on day 1 post-partum. All women had an uneventful full-term pregnancy and delivery. The LRH test was repeated in 8 of the women on day 3 and in the remaining 15 on day 6 post-partum. Serum Prl levels were high on days 1 and 3, but decreased significantly on day 6 (P less than 0.01). No pituitary FSH response to LRH stimulus was found on day 1 post-partum in all 23 women. In those who were given placebo, FSH levels in serum did not change in response to LRH on day 3 (4 women), but increased significantly on day 6 (5 women) in all subjects (P less than 0.05). Conversely, when oral metoclopramide was given from day 1 to 6 (10 women) the responsiveness of FSH to LRH on day 6, found in the placebo group, was not observed. Early reduction of serum Prl values on day 3 post-partum by bromocriptine treatment from day 1 to 3 (4 women) did not accelerate the FSH response to LRH. These results suggest an inhibitory effect of elevated serum Prl on the pituitary FSH response to LRH in women during early puerperium.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes