The neuropeptide galanin augments lobuloalveolar development

Mammary lobuloalveolar development during pregnancy is controlled by ovarian sex steroids and pituitary prolactin release. In organ culture these hormones are incapable of reproducing the density and size of lobuloalveoli seen in mice, suggesting the existence of other undiscovered factors. We showed previously that galanin knockout mice fail to lactate sufficiently for pup survival following their first pregnancy. Here we demonstrate that prolactin treatment of galanin knockout mice allows pup survival but does not completely rescue lobuloalveolar development or reduced milk protein expression. When galanin was used in combination with prolactin in mammary organ culture, larger and more numerous lobules were produced than with prolactin alone. Galanin alone produced sustained activation of STAT5a and the induction of milk protein expression but did not induce lobulogenesis. Examination of the transcriptional interaction between galanin and prolactin using oligonucleotide microarrays demonstrated synergistic and antagonistic modes of interaction between these hormones. These data establish a new role for galanin as a hormone augmenting mammary development during pregnancy in concert with prolactin.