Absorption of fluid and milk from breast tissue

Absorption of fluid and milk from breast tissue is not a specific molecular target, such as a receptor or enzyme, but rather a complex physiological process known as mammary gland involution. This process occurs naturally following the cessation of suckling or through pharmacological intervention to suppress lactation, leading to a significant decrease in lactogenic hormones like prolactin and oxytocin. During this phase, the mammary epithelium undergoes extensive programmed cell death (apoptosis), and the milk-producing alveoli collapse. The residual milk and interstitial fluid are then reabsorbed into the body through a combination of lymphatic drainage and phagocytosis by epithelial cells and macrophages. Clinical management of this process often involves the use of dopamine agonists, such as bromocriptine or cabergoline, which inhibit the release of prolactin to stop milk production and facilitate the reabsorption of breast fluids. Because this term identifies a biological outcome or medical indication rather than a single molecular entity, it is classified as an incorrect designation for a therapeutic target.

Other names

Mammary gland involutionLactation suppressionMilk reabsorptionPost-lactational involutionFluid reabsorption in breast tissue

The process is primarily managed pharmacologically via Dopamine D2 receptor agonism, which inhibits prolactin secretion from the anterior pituitary. The resulting decline in prolactin halts milk synthesis, triggering the apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells and the subsequent reabsorption of residual milk and fluid by the lymphatic system and local phagocytes.