Hormones: Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, named because of its role in lactation. It also has other wide ranging functions in the body from acting on the reproductive system to influencing behaviour and regulating the immune system. Alternative names for prolactin In everyday language, prolactin is referred to as the ‘milk hormone’; PRL; luteotropic hormone; LTH. What is prolactin? Prolactin is a hormone named originally after its function to promote milk production (lactation) in mammals in response to the suckling of young after birth. It has since been shown to have more than 300 functions in the body. These can be divided into a number of areas: reproductive, metabolic, regulation of fluids (osmoregulation), regulation of the immune system (immunoregulation) and behavioural functions. In humans, prolactin is produced both in the front portion of the pituitary gland (anterior pituitary gland) and in a range of sites elsewhere in the body. Lactotroph cells i...