The mechanism of prolactin release by the pituitary was investigated in pituitary organ cultures and pituitary-hypothalamus co-cultures with an added phenothiazine tranquilizer perphenazine. Rat pituitaries cultured in medium 199 in air released mean .05 IU/day prolactin by pigeon crop bioassay over 7 days. When cultured with a hypothalamus explant prolactin production decreased to .025 IU. A control pituitary cultured with medulla oblongata released the normal amount. When the hypothalamus was taken from rats treated with 10 mg perphenazine/kg/day for 10 days of when 10 mcg/ml perphenazine was included in the co-cultures prolactin secretion was normal. Perphenazine treatment or inclusion in the medium permitted normal prolactin release by pituitaries cultured alone. This is the 1st direct demonstration of prolactin release stimulated by this phenothiazine tranquilizer.
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Danon et al. (1963) studied this question.