Bone mineral content of the hyperprolactinemic rat femur by single photon absorptiometry.

Chronic hyperprolactinemia was obtained in the rat by an implantation of two adenohypophyses under the kidney capsule. This experimental model was set to evaluate the influence that high prolactin levels may have on bone mineralization when an intervention of estrogens can reasonably be excluded. Bone density was measured by single photon absorptiometry at the femur level. Our results indicate that the increase in PRL throughout the period of observation was associated with a significant decrease in bone mineral content, while calcium and parathyroid hormone serum levels remained unchanged. This would suggest that PRL plays a role in bone calcium metabolism, that might be included among the effects of this hormone.