Effect of short-term bromocriptine treatment on amniotic fluid prolactin concentration in the first half of pregnancy.

The effect of short-term bromocriptine treatment on amniotic fluid and maternal prolactin concentrations was studied in 9 pregnant women in the first half of pregnancy. Bromocriptine suppressed the maternal serum prolactin level, but had no effect on the amniotic fluid level. Since both foetal and maternal prolactin secretion are suppressed by bromocriptine our results suggest that amniotic fluid prolactin is produced by extrapituitary tissues, which do not contain dopamine receptors.