John Libbey Eurotext




Prolactin activates interferon regulatory factor-1 expression in normal lympho-hemopoietic cells.
European Cytokine Network. Volume 11, Number 3, 435-42, September 2000, Revue
Free Article
Author(s) : Z. Dogusan, M.L. Book, P. Verdood, L.Y. Yu-Lee, E.L. Hooghe-Peters
Summary : It has been proposed that prolactin (PRL) is a lympho-hemopoietic growth and differentiation factor. We show here by Western blotting that PRL-receptors (PRL-R) are expressed in normal rat bone marrow and spleen cells. We also show that PRL stimulates the phosphorylation of the PRL-R-associated Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK)-2 in rat bone marrow and spleen cells. This leads to the activation and subsequent binding of signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 5b to an interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) gamma activation sequence (GAS) as visualized by electromobility shift assay. As shown after reverse transcription of mRNA by polymerase chain reaction, PRL, at physiological concentrations (0.01 mg/ml), stimulates the expression of the IRF-1 gene in these normal cells. PRL could thus affect several aspects of the immune response.
Keywords : cytokine/Jak/Stat/leukocyte/hormones.

Prolactin activates interferon regulatory factor-1 expression in normal lympho-hemopoietic cells.