The endocrine system plays a central role in many aspects of lactation, including mammogenesis (mammary gland development), lactogenesis (onset of lactation), and galactopoiesis (maintenance of milk secretion). Many hormones of the endocrine system directly or indirectly regulate lactation process. The secretion of prolactin (PRL), one of the most important lactation-related hormones, is inhibited by hypothalamus-pituitary dopaminergic system and stimulated by hypothalamus-pituitary oxytocinergic system. This hormone is essential in all stages of lactation. The growth hormone (GH) regulates metabolism and the distribution of nutrients between tissues mammary glands, and stimulates the production of IGF-I from the liver which binds to IGF-IR of mammary epithelial cells (MECs) to indirectly promote lactation. The synthesis and secretion of estrogen (E) are affected by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. The hormone regulates duct morphogenesis and MECs proliferation. It also modulates the synthesis and secretion of PRL and GH, which together regulate the lactation in female animals. In this article, we reviewed the three main lactation-related hormones (PRL, GH, and E), summarize their regulation by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis and how they influence lactation.

内分泌系统在泌乳的许多方面都起着核心作用，包括乳腺发育（乳腺发育）、泌乳（泌乳开始）和半乳糖生成（维持乳汁分泌）。内分泌系统的许多激素直接或间接调节泌乳过程。催乳素（PRL）是最重要的泌乳相关激素之一，其分泌受到下丘脑-垂体多巴胺能系统的抑制和下丘脑-垂体催产素能系统的刺激。这种激素是在哺乳期的各个阶段至关重要。生长激素（GH）调节代谢和营养的组织之间乳腺分布，刺激产生的IGF-I从结合于乳腺上皮细胞（的MECs）的IGF-IR，以间接促进泌乳肝脏。合成和雌激素（E）的分泌是通过下丘脑 - 垂体轴的影响。激素调节导管形态发生和增殖的MEC。它还调节PRL和GH的合成和分泌，它们共同调节雌性动物的乳汁分泌。在这篇文章中，我们回顾了三个主要的泌乳相关激素（PRL，GH，和E），由下丘脑 - 垂体轴总结自己的调节，以及它们如何影响哺乳。