PROLACTIN

PROLACTIN

Prolactin is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, named because of its role in lactation. It also has other wide ranging functions in the body, from acting on the reproductive system to influencing behaviour and regulating the immune system.

Prolactin, as its name implies, is a hormone that promotes lactation (breast milk production) in mammals and is responsible for a number of other functions and systems. Prolactin is created in the front portion of the pituitary gland in your brain, as well as in the uterus, brain, breasts, prostate, adipose tissue, skin, and immune cells.

It's also possible to have too little prolactin, a condition known as hypoprolactinaemia. This is extremely rare, but it can occur if people have under-active pituitary glands. This is commonly noticed in women after pregnancy who are not able to produce sufficient milk.

Hypersecretion of prolactin can be caused by pituitary adenomas, hypothalamic disease, breast or chest wall stimulation, renal failure or hypothyroidism. Drugs, including many antidepressants, can elevate prolactin levels. Hyperprolactinemia often results in galactorrhea, amenorrhea, and infertility in females, and in impotence and hypogonadism in males. Renal failure, hypothyroidism, and prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas are also common causes of abnormally elevated prolactin levels.