Effect of Methysergide, a Blocker of Serotonin Receptors, on Plasma Prolactin Levels in Lactating and Ovariectomized Rats

The effect of methysergide (MES, 2.5 mg/100 g body wt), a serotonin antagonist, on prolactin release has been studied in lactating and ovariectomized rats. MES caused significant increases in prolactin release in both animals. Studies in ovariectomized, hypophysectomized rats indicate that this effect is not due to a decrease in the peripheral metabolism of prolactin. In vitro incubations of anterior pituitary fragments with MES failed to demonstrate any increase in prolactin release, suggesting that MES does not act directly on the anterior pituitary. Parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA; 32 mg/100 g body wt) decreased brain serotonin levels in ovariectomized rats 5, 24, and 70 h after its administration, yet did not alter plasma prolactin levels. L-tryptophan (6.3 mg/100 g body wt) given 1 and 1 1/2 h prior to sacrifice increased brain serotonin levels, yet did not affect plasma prolactin levels. Neither PCPA nor L-tryptophan altered MES-induced prolactin release. In lactating rats, suckling caused marked increases in plasma prolactin levels, an effect completely abolished by the administration of MES to the mother rats 3 1/4 h prior to suckling. However, MES-induced prolactin release was not altered by prior treatment with MES, either in lactating or ovariectomized rats. Others have shown that suckling releases prolactin through an excitatory serotonergic mechanism. Therefore, the failure of suckling to release prolactin in MES-pretreated rats suggests that MES can block brain serotonin receptors. However, the ability of methysergide to release prolactin in rats with serotonin receptors presumably blocked, suggests that the serotonin receptor-blocking and the prolactin-releasing actions of MES are not related.