Particularly important for the endocrine control of prostatic pathophysiology and anatomy are hormones produced and/or secreted by different cell types of the pituitary gland [growth-hormone, luteinizing-hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin, oxytocin, arginine-vasopressin and melanocyte-stimulating hormone], which affect prostate gland function either directly or indirectly under physiological and pathophysiological conditions [e.g. metabolic dysregulation (e.g. obesity), and prostate transformations (e.g. prostate cancer)]. This evidence concerns the gene PRL and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.