Servomechanism of prolactin and progesterone in regulating uterine gene expression.

To investigate the interaction of PRL and progesterone in regulating uterine gene expression, we have quantitated the concentration of PRL receptor and of uteroglobin (UG) mRNA in the endometrium of rabbits of different ages and after treatment with different hormones. During uterine differentiation in 2- to 4-week old rabbits, a marked increase in unoccupied uterine PRL receptor number was observed, presumably increasing uterine sensitivity to PRL. Receptor values for 4-week old rabbits were comparable to values for sexually mature, estrous females, but were lower than in 5-day pseudopregnant (PSP) animals. When total PRL receptor was determined by Scatchard analysis after in vitro desaturation with MgCl2, PSP animals again expressed the highest receptor concentration with no changes in the dissociation constant (Kd) values. To determine whether progesterone regulates uterine PRL receptor, long term ovariectomized rabbits (greater than 12 weeks) were treated with various combinations of hormones, and unoccupied and total uterine PRL receptors were determined. Progesterone treatment resulted in the highest concentration of both unoccupied and total PRL receptor after desaturation and removal of anti-ovine PRL antibodies with MgCl2. The value for total uterine PRL receptor was equivalent to the value for mammary gland, and the Kd values (2-4 x 10(-10) M) were similar. Treatment of long term ovariectomized rabbits with progesterone, with or without estradiol, produced an increase (P less than 0.05) in the UG mRNA content, which also occurred in PSP animals. PRL alone had no effect on UG mRNA but PRL plus progesterone increased (P less than 0.05) UG mRNA in a dose-dependent manner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)