Prolactin activates protein kinase C and stimulates growth-related gene expression in rat liver.

We have examined the effect of prolactin (PRL) on growth-related gene expression, protein kinase C (PKC) activity and diacylglycerol (DAG) mass in rat liver. Hepatic levels of messenger (m)RNA for c-myc, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and beta-actin increased in a dose-dependent manner within 1 h after PRL administration. Prolactin also caused a transient elevation of liver DAG levels and particulate-associated PKC activity. The PRL-provoked increases in DAG mass and particulate PKC activity were coincident and maximal at 20 min and began declining toward control levels by 30 min. These results suggest a temporal relationship between PRL-stimulated DAG accumulation and PKC activation. Furthermore, the subsequent rapid induction of growth-related gene expression provides new information on the role of PRL as a hepatic mitogen.