Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Lactotroph
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Lactotrophs (also known as lactotrope, mammatroph, mammotroph, epsilon acidophil, prolactin cell, and lactotropic cell) are cells in the anterior pituitary which produce prolactin in response to signals including dopamine and estrogen. Dopamine has an inhibitory effect on PRL secretion.
If these cells undergo neoplastic transformation, they will give rise to a prolactinoma, a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]