Prolactin Receptor Long Isoform ΔS1 Expression is Reduced in the Dorsal Root Ganglia of Humans with Chronic Pain

Human dorsal root ganglion neurons express more PRLR-L transcript variant 6 (ΔS1) than PRLR-S in both sexes, with female donors showing higher PRLR overall.

• Why it matters: Rodent studies suggest sex-dependent prolactin receptor signaling contributes to chronic pain, but human expression patterns and their link to female pain remained unclear.
• What they did: Using RNAscope in situ hybridization, the authors measured PRLR short and long isoforms in male and female donor DRG tissues, with cervix as a positive control.
• The result: In female donors with chronic pain, PRLR-L (ΔS1) expression is reduced, and published human DRG RNA-seq indicates PRLR is mostly confined to TRPV1-positive nociceptors.

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