DETECTION OF MESSENGER-RNA FOR GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE (GNRH) BUT NOT FOR GNRH RECEPTORS IN MOUSE MAMMARY-GLANDS

While gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), GnRH-like, or GnRH recept or (GnRH-R) have been reported to exist in several tissues other than brain or anterior pituitary, there is no report concerning GnRH or GnR H-R gene expression in the normal mammary gland. In order to define th e production of GnRH as well as GnRH-R in the mammary gland at the mol ecular level we examined their gene expression in various functional s tages of the mouse mammary gland using the reverse transcriptase-polym erase chain reaction (RT-PCR). GnRH mRNA transcripts were found in mou se mammary glands of mid-pregnant, lactating, and 3, 6, 9 days post-la ctational mice, whereas GnRH-R mRNA transcripts were not detected in m ammary glands of any functional stage. These results suggest a possibl e biological role of GnRH in mammary gland. (C) 1995 Academic Press, I nc.