The relationship between prolactin (PRL), leptin, nitric oxide (NO), and cytokines in patients with hyperprolactinemia

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• 作者：Huriye Balci ; Kadriye Akgun-Dar ; Nurperi Gazioglu ; Aysegul Kapucu ; Murat Bolayirli and Buge Oz
• 关键词：Leptin ; Prolactin ; Pituitary adenoma ; TNF ; α ; ; Interleukin ; 6 ; Nitric oxide
• 刊名：Pituitary
• 出版年：2009
• 出版时间：September, 2009
• 年：2009
• 卷：12
• 期：3
• 页码：170-176
• 全文大小：343.5 KB

文摘

Leptin is a key mediator in the maintenance of neuroendocrine homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in serum leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with hyperprolactinemia. The study consists of 16 consecutive patients with high prolactin (PRL) levels (group I) and a control group of 11 normoprolactinemic patients (group II). Pituitary tumor tissues of patients in groups I and II were analyzed for immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of prolactin and leptin. Group I has significantly higher levels of leptin than group II (P < 0.001). There is a strong correlation between PRL and leptin concentrations in group I. However, there were no statistically significant differences for NO, TNF-α, IL-6 between the two groups. IHC staining showed that there was strong immunoreactivity for leptin protein in PRL-secreting pituitary adenomas. Double immunostaining of adenoma tissues with PRL and leptin showed that the adenoma cells expressed both. These findings together are suggestive that leptin co-secretion from a prolactinoma may be the cause of increased serum leptin concentration, independently from the peripheral action of prolactin.