Serum prolactin levels during ovulatory menstrual cycle and menstrual disorders in women.

The changes in the serum prolactin levels during 8 ovulatory cycles, 3 anovulatory cycles, 3 clomiphene treated cycles, 4 premarin treated cycles and 2 cycles which had just become pregnant were measured by our heterologous radioimmunoassay. Serum prolactin levels showed an increase in the ovulatory phase in 6 out of 8 ovulatory women and in the luteal phase in 5 out of 8 ovulatory women respectively. No definite increase of serum prolactin in the ovulatory phase was observed in 2 out of 8 ovulatory and 3 anovulatory women. Oral administration of 1.25mg of premarin for 7, 10, 14 days slightly increased serum prolactin levels in 4 ovulatory women. Treatment with clomiphene increased serum prolactin in the ovulatory phase in 2 ovulatory women, but did not increase it in one woman who failed to ovulate. Serum prolactin levels in 2 women who became pregnant during the investigation were determined. The rise of serum prolactin was observed in the ovulatory phase. But no marked increase of serum prolactin was demonstrated in the early pregnant luteal phase. Our present results demonstrated ovulatory rise of serum prolactin. It is too early to conclude that human prolactin may have luteotrophic action in man.