It has been shown that hypothyroidism in the rat produces a prolongation of pregnancy associated with a delay in the fall of circulating progesterone (P 4 ) at term. The aim of the present work is to determine whether the delayed P 4 decline in hypothyroid mother rats is due to a retarded induction of P 4 degradation to 20aOH P 4 or to a stimulation of its synthesis, and to investigate the possible mechanisms that may underlie the altered luteal function. We determined by RIA the circulating profile of the hormones (TSH, PRL, LH, P 4 , PGF2a, and PGE2) involved in luteal regulation at the end of pregnancy and, by semiquantitative RT-PCR, the expression of factors involved in P 4 synthesis (CytP450scc, StAR, 3bHSD, PRLR) and metabolism (20aHSD, PGF2aR, iNOS and COX2). Our results show that the delay in P 4 decline and parturition is the resultant of retarded luteal regression, caused by a combination of decreases in luteolytic factors, mainly luteal PGF2a, iNOS mRNA expression and also circulating LH, and increased synthesis or action of luteotrophic factors, such as luteal and circulating PGE2 and circulating PRL. All these changes may be direct causes of the decreased 20aHSD mRNA and protein (measured by western blot analysis) expression, which in the presence of unchanged expression of the factors involved in P 4 synthesis results in elevated luteal and circulating P 4 that prolonged pregnancy and also may favor longer survival of the corpus luteum.

OFA hr/hr (OFA) rats present a major lactation deficit that impairs offspring survival. To explore whether abnormal stress responsiveness causes this deficit, we compared their hormonal (prolactin, progesterone, and corticosterone) responses to stress (room change and 2-min ether exposure) with those of Wistar and Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. We tested responses during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, lactation, after ovariectomy, and ovarian steroid hormone priming, and responses to suckling. We evaluated hypothalamic expression of receptors for prolactin (PRLRlong) and the isoforms of receptors for progesterone (PRA and B) and estrogen (ERα and β) in late pregnancy. We tested whether administration of an anxiolytic (diazepam) improved lactation. Ether exposure increased circulating levels of the three hormones in the three strains of rats, cycling and ovariectomized, but was less effective in pregnancy and lactation. Elevated estrogen level (estrus and estradiol-treated ovariectomized rats) potentiated the prolactin response more in SD and OFA rats than in Wistar rats. Elevated progesterone level (late pregnancy, lactation, progesterone-treated ovariectomized rats) inhibited the prolactin response less in OFA than in SD or Wistar rats. Ether exposure inhibited the prolactin and oxytocin responses to suckling only in OFA rats. Diazepam treatment increased pup survival rate and the prolactin response to suckling. Hypothalamic total PR mRNA content, assayed by RT-PCR, was higher in pregnant OFA rats compared with SD and Wistar rats, but the PRB/PRA protein ratio determined by Western blot was lowest in Wistar rats, intermediate in OFA rats, and highest in SD rats. The heightened sensitivity to stress of lactating OFA rats may contribute to their lactational deficit and be caused by a combination of hypoprolactinemia and reduced inhibitory capacity of progesterone.

Background/Aims: Progesterone (P₄) fall provoked by spontaneous or prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α)-induced luteolysis in late pregnant rats triggers a prolactin (PRL) surge 12–24 h later. Methods: To investigate the hypothalamic mechanism mediating this response, we determined expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), PRL receptors (long form, PRLR_long), estrogen-α (ERα) and ERβ, P₄ (PR) A and B receptors, and STAT5a, STAT5b, suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), SOCS3 and CIS at mRNA (by semiquantitative and real-time RT-PCR) and protein (by Western blot only for TH, ERα and PRs) levels, and dopamine and DOPAC (by high-performance liquid chromatography) contents in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) 24 h after luteolysis induced by a PGF2α analogue (cloprostenol, 25 µg/rat s.c. at 8 and 12 h on day 19 of pregnancy). Results: PGF2α treatment decreased circulating P₄ and estradiol and increased PRL and the estradiol/P₄ ratio. MBH DOPAC and DOPAC/dopamine ratio fell, indicating decreased dopaminergic transmission. PRLR_long, PRB and ERα mRNA increased. ERα and PR proteins were not modified. However, TH protein and mRNA did not change. PRA, the small PR isoform, was much more abundant than PRB, the isoform considered to mediate P₄ genomic actions. STAT5a, SOCS1 and SOCS3 mRNA were also increased. Conclusion: The P₄ fall induced by PGF2α treatment induces PRL release through diminution in MBH dopaminergic transmission without change in TH expression. The increased PRLR along with elevated circulating PRL may be responsible for maintaining high TH expression through activation of short-loop feedback mechanisms, counteracting the effect of the fall in circulating P₄. In parallel, SOCS expression contributes to limit PRL signaling.