Changes in the cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate system of rat mammary gland during lactation cycle.

Several aspects of the cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate system of rat mammary glands were investigated including effects of stage of pregnancy and lactation upon tissue cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate amounts and adenyl cyclase, cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase, and protein kinase activities. Cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate decreased at early lactation, and this decrease coincided with an increase in phosphodiesterase activity. Adenyl cyclase activity remained unchanged from late pregnancy to end of lactation. At late pregnancy, activity of protein kinase was about the same as during lactation indicating that increase in protein kinase activities in the glands precedes increases in activities of other major enzymes and the increase in ribonucleic acids in late pregnancy or early lactation. Epinephrine, prolactin, growth hormone, thyroxine, and prostaglandine caused 60, 80, 140, 200, and 270% increases in adenyl cyclase activity in vitro.