We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Tryptophan ingestion by pregnant rats induces pituitary and mammary tumours in the adult female offspring.
- Authors
Santana, Cristo; Martin, Lorenzo; Valladares, Francisco; Diaz-Flores, Lucio; Santana-Herrera, Celsa; Milena, Antonio; Díaz, Manuel Rodríguez; Santana, C; Martin, L; Valladares, F; Diaz-Flores, L; Santana-Herrera, C; Milena, A; Rodríguez Díaz, M
- Abstract
The present study was designed to evaluate the long-term consequences of tryptophan treatment on the central serotonergic activity in the female offspring of rats, and particularly on serotonin-controlled hormone release. During the second half of gestation, tryptophan (200 mg/kg/day) was given daily by stomach intubation to pregnant rats and the brain concentrations of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid and the plasma concentrations of prolactin, progesterone, oestradiol and luteinizing hormone were quantified in the adult female offspring. The offspring showed an increase in hypothalamic serotonin and serum progesterone and prolactin. In addition, maternal ingestion of tryptophan induced a marked rise in 665-day-old offspring in the incidence of both pituitary prolactinomas (62%) and mammary adenomas (49%). Present data suggest that tryptophan regulates serotonergic differentiation during early development. A transitory modification of the tryptophan concentration in the fetal brain induces a permanent increase in hypothalamic serotonin level and, in addition to modifying the release of prolactin, increases the incidence of tumours in the hypophysis and mammary gland.
- Publication
Human Reproduction, 1999, Vol 14, Issue 8, p2155
- ISSN
0268-1161
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/humrep/14.8.2155