Antiprolactogenic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a substance or agent that inhibits or suppresses the production or secretion of prolactin hormone in the body
2. Pertaining to any factor or compound that counteracts or reduces prolactin release from the pituitary gland
3. Characterizing an effect or mechanism that prevents or diminishes the activity or synthesis of prolactin within an organism

Etymology: Antiprolactogenic is a modern pharmacological coinage, built from "anti-" (Greek "anti," "against") and "prolactogenic," which itself combines "prolact-," from "prolactin," with the Greek-derived suffix "-genic," meaning "producing" or "giving rise to." Prolactin was named in 1933 for its role in stimulating milk production, from Latin "pro-" ("for") and "lac" ("milk"). A prolactogenic substance raises prolactin levels, so the antiprolactogenic term describes agents that suppress or block that effect. The word is a technical term of 20th-century endocrinology and pharmacology, assembled from classical elements rather than inherited from ancient Greek or Latin usage. Its ancestors were never used by Greeks or Romans in this sense, since prolactin was not identified until the twentieth century.

Synonyms: prolactin-inhibiting

Antonyms: prolactogenic, prolactin-stimulating