PAAO-YO Research:
Dr. Miguel Angel Vázquez Membrillo

Dr. Miguel Angel Vázquez Membrillo, a Vitreoretinal specialist at Instituto Mexicano de Oftalmología I.A.P. in Mexico City, Mexico, has recently published an article. Below are the salient points and link to the article.

Prolactin stimulates the vascularisation of the retina in newborn mice under hyperoxia conditions

The hormone prolactin (PRL) is emerging as an important regulator of ocular blood vessels. PRL is pro-angiogenic and acquires anti-angiogenic properties after undergoing proteolytic cleavage to the PRL fragment, vasoinhibin.

The vascularisation of the rodent retina develops after birth when it rapidly expands until completion at the end of the first postnatal week. Exposure of the newborn mice to high oxygen levels lowers the rate of blood vessel growth

• We investigated whether PRL treatment modifies the vascularisation of the retina in newborn mice exposed to high oxygen or normoxia and whether the retina conversion of PRL to vasoinhibin may be altered in the neonate.
•  PRL treatment reduced the retinal inhibition of blood vessel growth and the increase in the vascular regression induced by hyperoxia as revealed by immunofluorescence staining of blood vessels and the expression of angiogenesis and apoptosis markers.
•  We conclude that PRL has pro-angiogenic effect in the neonate retina as a result of its reduced conversion to vasoinhibin and that PRL produced by the retina may help promote physiological vascularisation after birth.

Vaìzquez-Membrillo M, Siqueiros- Maìrquez L, NuìnÞez FF, et al. Prolactin stimulates thevascularisation of the retina in newborn mice under hyperoxia conditions. J Neuroendocrinol. 2020;00:e12858. https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.12858.