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. 2017 Mar 23;595(11):3591–3605. doi: 10.1113/JP273712

Figure 9. Prolactin does not affect phosphorylation of ERK and Akt in virgin and lactating rats.

Figure 9

A and B, images showing representative immunoblots of ERK1, pERK1, ERK2, pERK2, Akt, pAkt and β‐tubulin in supraoptic nucleus (left) and paraventricular nucleus (right) tissue samples from virgin and lactating rats injected with 2 μg prolactin or vehicle. Bands were analysed using Image Studio Software (LI‐COR). Phosphoprotein levels were normalised to non‐phosphoprotein levels and expressed as a proportion of the levels in the vehicle‐treated virgin rats (n = 6–9 per group). B, mean ratio of pERK1:ERK1 (±SEM) in the supraoptic nucleus (left) and paraventricular nucleus (right) of virgin and lactating rats. For the pERK1:ERK1 ratio in the supraoptic nucleus, two‐way ANOVA showed no main effect of reproductive status (F 1,26 = 0.02, P = 0.89) or prolactin (F 1,26 = 1.00, P = 0.76) and no interaction (F 1,26 = 1.07, P = 0.31). Similarly, for the pERK1:ERK1 ratio in the paraventricular nucleus, two‐way ANOVA showed no main effect of reproductive status (F 1,24 = 0.53, P = 0.47) or prolactin (F 1,24 = 0.06, P = 0.80) and no interaction (F 1,24 = 0.68, P = 0.42). C, mean ratio of pERK2:ERK2 (±SEM) in the supraoptic nucleus (left) and paraventricular nucleus (right) of virgin and lactating rats. For the pERK2:ERK2 ratio in the supraoptic nucleus, two‐way ANOVA showed no main effect of reproductive status (F 1,26 = 0.22, P = 0.64) or prolactin (F 1,26 = 0.02, P = 0.88) and no interaction (F 1,26 = 0.62, P = 0.44). Similarly, for the pERK2:ERK2 ratio in the paraventricular nucleus, two‐way ANOVA showed no main effect of reproductive status (F 1,24 = 0.35, P = 0.56) or prolactin (F 1,24 = 0.28, P = 0.60) and no interaction (F 1,24 = 1.00, P = 0.33). D, mean ratio of pAkt:Akt (±SEM) in the supraoptic nucleus (left) and paraventricular nucleus (right) of virgin and lactating rats. For the pAkt:Akt ratio in the supraoptic nucleus, two‐way ANOVA showed no main effect of reproductive status (F 1,22 = 0.08, P = 0.78) or prolactin (F 1,22 = 0.07, P = 0.78) and no interaction (F 1,22 = 0.36, P = 0.56). Again similarly, for the pAkt:Akt ratio in the paraventricular nucleus, two‐way ANOVA showed no main effect of reproductive status (F 1,24 = 0.24, P = 0.63) or prolactin (F 1,24 = 0.27, P = 0.60) and no interaction (F 1,24 = 0.49, P = 0.49). [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]