In vivo and in vitro studies of GABAergic inhibition of prolactin biosynthesis.

The inhibitory action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on prolactin (PRL) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels was studied in vitro in rat anterior pituitary cells in culture and in intact rats in vivo. PRL mRNA levels were determined by hybridization of cytoplasmic RNA with a radiolabelled deoxyribonucleic acid probe complementary to rat PRL mRNA. Incubation of anterior pituitary cultures with GABA (10-100 microM) produced a dose-dependent decrease in PRL mRNA levels with half-maximal inhibition near 1 microM. The effect was time dependent and reversible after drug withdrawal. Inhibition by GABA was antagonized by bicuculline (10 microM) and mimicked by the GABAA receptor agonists muscimol and isoguvacine, but not with the GABAB agonist baclofen, indicating the involvement of GABAA receptors in the accumulation of PRL mRNA. To investigate the role of endogenous GABA on PRL biosynthesis in vivo, GABA levels were raised by using the GABA transaminase blockers vinyl GABA and ethanolamine-O-sulfate. Injection of vinyl GABA into rats (100 or 800 mg/kg every 2nd day) resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in PRL mRNA levels in rat adenohypophysis. Similar results were obtained by addition of ethanolamine-O-sulfate to the drinking water (5 mg/ml, 250 mg/day). This treatment resulted in a rapid decrease of circulating PRL levels. This was followed by a delayed decrease in PRL mRNA concentrations in the adenohypophysis leading to a transient increase in hormone levels in the anterior pituitary. The results indicate that GABA has an inhibitory role on PRL secretion and PRL gene expression by a direct action at GABAA receptors on pituitary lactotrophs.