Lactation

Lactation is the complex physiological process of milk production and secretion by the mammary glands, intended to provide nourishment and passive immunity to newborns. The process is primarily regulated by the anterior pituitary hormone prolactin, which initiates and maintains milk synthesis, and the posterior pituitary hormone oxytocin, which triggers the contraction of myoepithelial cells for milk ejection [12, 13]. In the context of drug development and clinical practice, lactation is regarded as a physiological state or clinical indication rather than a specific molecular target like a receptor or enzyme. Pharmacological agents used to influence lactation typically act on associated signaling pathways, such as the Dopamine D2 receptor (using agonists like cabergoline for suppression or antagonists like domperidone for stimulation) or the Oxytocin receptor to assist with milk let-down [1, 13]. Consequently, lactation represents a systems-level biological event that is not considered a discrete therapeutic target in traditional molecular pharmacology [8, 9].

Other names

BreastfeedingMilk productionGalactopoiesisMilk secretion

Modulation of prolactin secretion via Dopamine D2 receptor antagonism or agonism, and stimulation of milk ejection via Oxytocin receptor activation.