Prolactin: Evidence That It Is Separate from Growth Hormone in Human Blood

Abstract

A highly sensitive bioassay has been developed for prolactin, which uses a mammalian end organ and which is capable of measuring the hormone in unextracted human plasma. High prolactin activity, largely neutralizable with antiserum to human growth hormone, is stimulated along with high immunoassayable growth hormone by insulin-induced hypoglycemia. High prolactin activity, not neutralizable with antiserum to growth hormone, exists with low concentrations of plasma growth hormone in postpartum patients and patients with galactorrhea.