Research Article

Mammary Fat Can Adjust Prolactin Effect on Mammary Epithelial Cells via Leptin and Estrogen

Figure 3

Real time analysis of ER alpha in mammary explants from lactating cow after incubation with different levels of leptin. Explants from a lactating bovine mammary gland were incubated with several concentrations of leptin (10, 100, and 1000 ng mL-1). ER alpha mRNA expression was up-regulated in a dose-dependent manner. At a leptin concentration of 10 ng mL-1 the expression of ER alpha reached a level of 1.3 arbitrary units, at 100 ng mL-1 leptin elevated ER alpha expression to 1.9 arbitrary units, and at a leptin concentration of 100 ng mL-1 the ER alpha expression level reached 3 arbitrary units. Least squares means ± SE (n = 3). Bars with different letters differ at P < .05
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