The duration of prolactin secretory bursts from the pituitary is independent from both prolactin and gonadal steroid plasma levels in women and in men.

The intrinsic secretory characteristics of prolactin (PRL) have been investigated using newly developed algorhythms for instantaneous secretory rate (ISR) computation. PRL secretory rate, its intrinsic pulsatile characteristics and their possible dependance from gonadal steroids were investigated in five groups of subjects: a) 11 women during the follicular and luteal phase of the same menstrual cycle; b) 5 healthy postmenopausal women; c) 6 women affected by functional hyperprolactinemia; d) 5 normal men; e) 4 agonadal subjects before and during testosterone replacement therapy. All subjects underwent a 6 hours pulsatility study, from 08:00 to 14:00, sampling every 10 minutes. PRL plasma concentrations were determined using a RIA system and the presence of PRL secretory pulses was evaluated with program DETECT, both on plasma time series and after ISR computation. A distinct PRL episodic release was observed in all groups (follicular phase: 5.5 +/- 0.5, luteal phase: 6.5 +/- 0.6, postmenopause: 5 +/- 1, hyperprolactinemic women: 4.2 +/- 0.8, men: 4.8 +/- 0.4, agonadal before testosterone: 6 +/- 1, agonadal during testosterone administration: 5.3 +/- 0.3 peaks/6h), but mainly the computation of ISR allowed to demonstrate that the duration of the lactotropes secretory events was constant in all groups studied. PRL secretory bursts duration ranged between 23.1 +/- 1.8 and 25.4 +/- 2.5 minutes independently both on PRL or on sex steroid plasma levels. In conclusion, the present report shows that in different physiological conditions the intrinsic secretory bursts from lactotropes are constant in duration independently from the functional state, sex and the steroid hormone levels.