**Acknowledgement**

This work was supported by OTKA-81522 for GMN. Thanks are due to Mariann Akocsi for her excellent technical help preparing this manuscript.

The Role of Prolactin in the Regulation of Male Copulatory Behavior 145

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[18] Juan M. Dominguez, Elaine M. Hull (2005) Dopamine, the medial preoptic area, and

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### **5. References**


<sup>\*</sup> Corresponding Author

[10] Bitran D, Hull EM (1987) Pharmacological Analysis of Male Rat Sexual Behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 11:365-89.

144 Prolactin

**Author details** 

*Budapest, Hungary* 

**5. References** 

**Acknowledgement** 

*Tokyo, Japan* 

Toru R. Saito and Misao Terada

Márk Oláh and György M. Nagy\*

Fertil steril 27: 1425-1427.

79: 1002-1010.

112:215-20.

Corresponding Author

 \*

Fertility. Fertil steril 32: 556-561.

Female Rats. Science 227: 782-784.

Hypognadism. Acta endocrinol 88: 131-146.

receptor knockout mice. Endocr Rev. 19(3):225-68.

*Behavioral Neuroscience Section, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University,* 

This work was supported by OTKA-81522 for GMN. Thanks are due to Mariann Akocsi for

[1] Weizman A, Weizman R, Hart J Maoz B, Wijsenbeek H, Ben David M (1983) The correlation of Increased Serum Prolactin levels with Decreased Sexual Desire and

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in the Ovariectomized Nulliparous Rat. Physiol behave 5: 1373-1377.

*Cellular and Molecular Neuroendocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Human Morphology, Semmelweis University,* 

her excellent technical help preparing this manuscript.

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**Chapter 9** 

© 2013 Oner, licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

© 2013 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Prolactin (PRL) is one of several hormones that are produced by the pituitary gland. PRL has many different roles throughout the body, and most of those are clearly shown as clinical symptom. Perhaps the most important classical role of prolactin is to stimulate milk production in women after the delivery of a baby. Prolactin levels increase during pregnancy causing the mammary glands to enlarge in preparation for breastfeeding and ready to secrete colostrums closely after delivery. Later on the elevated prolactin levels help with the sustained production of milk during nursing. The somatomammotrop cells of the anterior pituitary gland synthesize and secrete prolactin, which is under the control of hypothalamic factors, mainly the tonic inhibition of Dopamine (DA). There are several other sources of PRL-like substances in the periphery such as placental lactogens, (similar to pituitary PRL), mammary gland (produced within the mammary epithelial cells), or PRL variants of immune cell origin (that modulates the immune system). (Gellersen,1989; Andersen 1990; Lkhider, 1996; Kurtz,1993; Gala, 1994, Montgomery,1990; Ben-Jonathan

It is important to underline that serum PRL in normal individuals is considered as almost entirely pituitary PRL sources, the above mentioned extra pituitary-PRL may contribute significant amounts but either carries as specific function and target mainly to the local

During the first several months of breastfeeding, the higher basal prolactin levels also serve to suppress ovarian cyclicity , through the inhibition of pituitary hormones, mainly via LH suppression (Taya 1982) This is the reason why women who are breastfeeding do not get their periods and therefore do not often become pregnant. In actively breastfeeding mothers the related hyperprolactinaemia persisting even over a year. It was observed that extended lactational amenorrhea is associated with low LH levels, and interestingly suckling induced PRL elevation as a response has a positive effect on prolongation. (Diaz 1991; Diaz 1995).

environment acting via paracrine/autocrine manner. (Yu-lee 1997; Bachelot 2007)

**Prolactin and Infertility** 

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

Gokalp Oner

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/55557

**1. Introduction** 

1996; Yu-Lee LY 1997)

#### **Chapter 9**
