Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.

Production of the androgen testosterone is controlled by a negative feedback loop within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Stimulation of testicular Leydig cells by pituitary luteinising hormone (LH) is under the control of hypothalamic gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), while supp...

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Main Authors: Laura O'Hara, Michael Curley, Maria Tedim Ferreira, Lyndsey Cruickshanks, Laura Milne, Lee B Smith
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121657
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author Laura O'Hara
Michael Curley
Maria Tedim Ferreira
Lyndsey Cruickshanks
Laura Milne
Lee B Smith
author_facet Laura O'Hara
Michael Curley
Maria Tedim Ferreira
Lyndsey Cruickshanks
Laura Milne
Lee B Smith
author_sort Laura O'Hara
collection DOAJ
description Production of the androgen testosterone is controlled by a negative feedback loop within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Stimulation of testicular Leydig cells by pituitary luteinising hormone (LH) is under the control of hypothalamic gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), while suppression of LH secretion by the pituitary is controlled by circulating testosterone. Exactly how androgens exert their feedback control of gonadotrophin secretion (and whether this is at the level of the pituitary), as well as the role of AR in other pituitary cell types remains unclear. To investigate these questions, we exploited a transgenic mouse line (Foxg1 Cre/+; AR fl/y) which lacks androgen receptor in the pituitary gland. Both circulating testosterone and gonadotrophins are unchanged in adulthood, demonstrating that AR signalling is dispensable in the male mouse pituitary for testosterone-dependent regulation of LH secretion. In contrast, Foxg1 Cre/+; AR fl/y males have a significant increase in circulating prolactin, suggesting that, rather than controlling gonadotrophins, AR-signalling in the pituitary acts to suppress aberrant prolactin production in males.
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publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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spelling doaj-art-63ae8656567c4a5286c2cf9227fd97222025-08-20T03:46:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01103e012165710.1371/journal.pone.0121657Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.Laura O'HaraMichael CurleyMaria Tedim FerreiraLyndsey CruickshanksLaura MilneLee B SmithProduction of the androgen testosterone is controlled by a negative feedback loop within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Stimulation of testicular Leydig cells by pituitary luteinising hormone (LH) is under the control of hypothalamic gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH), while suppression of LH secretion by the pituitary is controlled by circulating testosterone. Exactly how androgens exert their feedback control of gonadotrophin secretion (and whether this is at the level of the pituitary), as well as the role of AR in other pituitary cell types remains unclear. To investigate these questions, we exploited a transgenic mouse line (Foxg1 Cre/+; AR fl/y) which lacks androgen receptor in the pituitary gland. Both circulating testosterone and gonadotrophins are unchanged in adulthood, demonstrating that AR signalling is dispensable in the male mouse pituitary for testosterone-dependent regulation of LH secretion. In contrast, Foxg1 Cre/+; AR fl/y males have a significant increase in circulating prolactin, suggesting that, rather than controlling gonadotrophins, AR-signalling in the pituitary acts to suppress aberrant prolactin production in males.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121657
spellingShingle Laura O'Hara
Michael Curley
Maria Tedim Ferreira
Lyndsey Cruickshanks
Laura Milne
Lee B Smith
Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.
PLoS ONE
title Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.
title_full Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.
title_fullStr Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.
title_full_unstemmed Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.
title_short Pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse.
title_sort pituitary androgen receptor signalling regulates prolactin but not gonadotrophins in the male mouse
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121657
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