The role of prolactin in the healing process: A preliminary morphological study

Abstract

IntroductionThe authors hypothesized a possible use of prolactin as a therapeutic treatment of skin lesions. We investigated the relationship between topic prolactin-treatment of skin lesions and wound healing process in rats. Materials and methodsSkin lesions were produced in both control and experimental rats. PRLtreatment (100 µl of PRL 2 ng/ml in PBS) was performed by dripping on lesions of experimental rats. Control rats were treated with only PBS. After 1 week, fragments of tissue from the bottom of lesions were obtained from three rats of both control and experimental groups. The authors continued the PRL-treatment to other rats until complete healing. In skin specimens, analysis of the ultrastructural features of cells, cellular aggregates and extra-cellular matrix components were made by transmission electron microscopy. In skin specimens, computerized morphometry measurements of different cell types were also made. ResultsResults showed that progression of the healing process was more advanced in treated rats as evidenced by the different percentages of distinct cell types after 1 week of PRLtreatment. Moreover, in treated rats,

Enteric and serological distribution of serotonin and its precursor tryptophan in perinatal low and normal weight piglets

“…Owing to intrauterine malnutrition, the SGA piglets develop altered the endocrine pathways, as known for the IGF system, in order to survive (Fowden et al, 2005;De Vos et al, 2013). As serotonin enhances growth hormone secretion, which in turn stimulates IGF production (Musumeci et al, 2013), we hypothesise that this altered endocrine balance is reflected in an altered intestinal distribution of enterochromaffin cells. In the blood circulation, the free fraction of tryptophan (FFT) is an important marker for encephalic 5-HT synthesis, whereas most of 5-HT in blood is derived from the gastrointestinal tract (Erspamer and Testini, 1959;Tagliamonte et al, 1973;Manjarrez et al, 1998).…”