Abstract
THE role of thyroid hormones in relation to mammary gland structure and function has received sporadic attention. It has been shown in the rat that thyroid hormones are not necessary for mammary development1 and that in ovariectomised, adrenalectomised, hypophysectomised rats, prolactin and growth hormone are the principal hormones responsible for lobulo-alveolar growth2. The slight stimulatory effect of thyroid hormones on mammary growth and lactation in animals has been attributed to their general metabolic effects3,4. There are, however, a few contrary reports in the literature describing greater mammary development in rats rendered hypothyroid5,6, which have remained unexplained. The present study was undertaken to clarify the relationship between thyroid hormones and mammary growth, with special reference to prolactin. Interest in this field was primarily aroused by several clinical and epidemiological reports associating thyroid hypofunction with breast cancer7,8.
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MITTRA, I. Mammotropic effect of prolactin enhanced by thyroidectomy. Nature 248, 525–526 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248525a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248525a0
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