The lactation–blocking drug bromocriptine and its application to studies of weaning and behavioral development

Martin, Paul; Bateson, Patrick

doi:10.1002/dev.420150207

Cited by 21 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…food was made available to both mothers and kittens at 43 days, a marked discontinuity occurred in the growth curve, as the kittens grew rapidly. Our results on discontinuities in kitten weight lend some support to the suggestion that mothers may adjust weaning in relation to the environmental conditions (Bateson, 1981;Martin & Bateson, 1982). It is necessary, however, to add the caveat that the impact of the environmental conditions will partially depend on the interaction between mother weight, mother condition and litter size.…”

Section: Lirter S I X and Kitten Weightsupporting

confidence: 79%

The consequences of differences in litter size for the nursing cat and her kittens

1987

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Seventy‐one litters of kittens (mean litter size 4.4) were studied from birth to eight weeks of age in order to measure kitten growth and maternal body condition. Few sex differences in growth occur; male and female kittens place a similar burden on their lactating mother. A mother's weight (non‐pregnant, non‐lactating) interacts with litter size to determine the fate of her growing kittens. A large litter places a burden on both the mother and on the kittens, whose growth is affected; small mothers with large litters are particularly at risk. An acceleration in kitten growth occurs at about 32 days as the kittens take more solid food. This change in growth rate is more marked in large litters. Kittens of light mothers and kittens in large litters are weaned at a lower weight, and kittens of light mothers are weaned earlier. Our results indicate that, under poor environmental conditions, large litters would be less successful than small litters; kitten growth and survival would be affected and providing milk for a large litter would have a detrimental effect on the mother's health. The cost of lactation appears to have been a major evolutionary factor in determining mean litter size.

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Section: Lirter S I X and Kitten Weightsupporting

confidence: 79%

The consequences of differences in litter size for the nursing cat and her kittens

1987

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“…In normoprolactinemic dogs, bromocriptine inhibited PRL secretion at almost the same dose as terguride. Also, in the inhibition of lactation, bromocriptine has been reported to be 170 times more effective in dogs than in rats (34). These findings suggest that dogs may be sensi tive to bromocriptine.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Terguride as a New Anti-Hyperprolactinemic Agent: Characterization in Rats and Dogs in Comparison with Bromocriptine

Mizokawa¹,

Akai²,

Nakada³

et al. 1993

Japanese Journal of Pharmacology

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ABSTRACT-Terguride, a derivative of the ergot alkaloid, was characterized as a new anti-hyperprolactin emic agent in rats and dogs in comparison with bromocriptine. Terguride was found to bind selectively to the pituitary dopamine D2-receptors with a high affinity (Kd=0.39 nM). In reserpinized rats, terguride at 0.03 mg/kg, p.o. significantly reduced the serum prolactin (PRL) level. The PRL lowering effect and the effective dose were longer lasting and about 30 times lower than those of bromocriptine, respectively. In rats bearing estrogen-induced pituitary prolactinoma, chronic terguride induced shrinkage of the prolactinoma as well as reduction of the high serum PRL level. In lactating rats, terguride (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) reduced milk production in the mammary gland, whereas bromocriptine showed no significant effect up to 10 mg/kg, s.c. Terguride (10 mg/kg, p.o.) did not induce any stereotypy and hypermotility in reserpinized rats, while bromocriptine induced both stereotypy and hypermotility significantly at 10 mg/kg, p.o. In dogs, terguride, like bromocriptine, reduced the serum PRL level, but did not affect the serum levels of growth hormone and luteinizing hormone. In dogs, bromocriptine induced both emesis and PRL-lowering at almost the same dose, whereas emesis-inducing doses of terguride were about 100 times higher than the PRL-lowering dose. These results suggest that terguride as a dopamine D2-agonist is a potent inhibitor of PRL secretion with less neurotropic side effects compared to bromocriptine, and thus a useful drug for the treatment of galactor rhea and hyperprolactinemia including prolactinoma.Keywords: Terguride, Bromocriptine, Anti-hyperprolactinemic agent, Dopamine D2-agonist, Emetic action Dopamine (DA) D2-agonists, belonging to the family of ergot-derived drugs such as bromocriptine and lisu ride, are well known to be useful for the treatment of disorders characterized by hypersecretion of prolactin (PRL), such as galactorrhea and prolactinoma (1, 2). Bromocriptine, being the most widely utilized, has been shown not only to reduce the high PRL level in patients bearing prolactinoma and in postpartum women, but also to induce shrinkage of the tumor mass and reduction of lactation. However, such treatment is often associated with neurotropic side effects such as nausea and vomiting, which may be due to the D2-agonistic action on the cen tral dopaminergic systems; and as a result, about 10% of the patients discontinued the treatment (3 5). Thus, the drug development in this field recently has been directed to the search for a potent anti-hyperprolactinemic drug without the unwanted neurotropic side effects. Terguride, a 9,10-transdihydrogenated derivative of the ergot alkaloid lisuride, has been reported to exhibit both agonistic and antagonistic pharmacological effects at the DA D2-receptors depending upon the location and the state of the receptors (6-9). Like D2-agonists, terguride inhibits hypersecretion of PRL in reserpinized rats at low doses, suggesting a potent agonistic action on the...

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“…cannulae but given the same bromocriptine treatment s.c. (reduction of 71%) (7). This inhibitory effect of bromocriptine on maternal behaviour is most likely due to the well‐known capacity of this drug to prevent the release of prolactin from the pituitary gland (10, 11), rather than to unspecific effects of the drug, because food intake, scent‐marking and ambulation in an open field were not reduced in bromocriptine‐treated females below the levels observed in control animals. Indeed, food intake was significantly higher in bromocriptine‐only females, a finding suggesting that, in the prepartum period, prolactin acts as an anorexic in rabbits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…However, prolactin is released in rabbits shortly before parturition (7–9) and also in ovariectomized (OVX) animals given oestradiol benzoate (EB) and progesterone, following progesterone withdrawal (5). In these OVX steroid‐treated rabbits bromocriptine (a dopamine agonist that prevents the release of prolactin from the anterior pituitary (10, 11) antagonizes nest‐building and prevents the rise in prolactin normally seen after progesterone injections are stopped (5). Moreover, our finding that injections of bromocriptine to late‐pregnant rabbits interfere with both nest‐building and maternal behaviour (7) suggests that prolactin stimulates the onset of these activities.…”

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confidence: 99%

Intracerebroventricular Injections of Prolactin Counteract the Antagonistic Effect of Bromocriptine on Rabbit Maternal Behaviour

González‐Mariscal

Chirino

Flores-Alonso

et al. 2004

J Neuroendocrinology

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To investigate the participation of prolactin in nest-building and maternal behaviour in rabbits, we administered (from pregnancy day 26 to parturition) rabbit prolactin (rbPRL; or vehicle) intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to primiparous animals injected with bromocriptine subcutaneously (s.c.). Control females (given vehicle s.c. and i.c.v.) built a maternal nest (of straw and body hair) in 77% of cases. This proportion decreased to 19% in the bromocriptine-only group (P < 0.05) and increased to 93% in the group given bromocriptine plus rbPRL (P > 0.05). Maternal behaviour (i.e. the adoption of a crouching posture over the litter inside the nest box) was expressed by 77% of control rabbits, 19% of bromocriptine-only animals (P < 0.05) and 57% of females given bromocriptine plus rbPRL (P > 0.05). Values of nonmaternal activities (i.e. scent-marking, ambulation in an open field) were similar among the three studied groups. These results suggest that prolactin, acting in late pregnancy, plays a major role in the stimulation of nest-building and maternal behaviour in rabbits.

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The lactation–blocking drug bromocriptine and its application to studies of weaning and behavioral development

Cited by 21 publications

References 86 publications

The consequences of differences in litter size for the nursing cat and her kittens

The consequences of differences in litter size for the nursing cat and her kittens

Terguride as a New Anti-Hyperprolactinemic Agent: Characterization in Rats and Dogs in Comparison with Bromocriptine

Intracerebroventricular Injections of Prolactin Counteract the Antagonistic Effect of Bromocriptine on Rabbit Maternal Behaviour

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