Prolactin binding in ovariectomy-responsive and ovariectomy-nonresponsive rat mammary carcinoma.

ABSTRACT

PIP: Prolactin binding in ovariectomy-responsive and ovariectomy-nonresponsive carcinoma in the Wistar/Furth rat is compared. The time course of binding of prolactin at 4, 24, ad 37 degrees for mammary tumor (MTW9) coimplanted with MtTW10, a mammosomatotropic pituitary tumor (MTW9-MtT) or with MTW9 maintained with daily perphenazine injections (MTW9-P) was measured. Maximum binding to membranes of both tumors occurred at 4 degrees after about 30 hours incubation. The binding was inhibited by polypeptide hormones that possess lactogenic activity. Mammary tumors from animals maintained on perphenazine had a 4-fold greater binding capacity than did tumors from MtT-supported animals. When perphenazine therapy was halted the binding capacity of MTW9-P membranes was unaffected. This result held when MTW9-P animals were ovariectomized. Resection of MtT resulted in tumor regression, a fall to normal of serum prolactin, and a nearly 3-fold increase in prolactin binding. Scatchard plots of prolactin binding data yield an apparent affinity constant, K(a) of 1.2 X 10(9) liters/mole for both tumors.