Patients with prolactinoma are commonly treated with the D2 dopamine agonist bromocriptine, which in most cases, normalizes prolactin (PRL) levels. However, resistance to bromocriptine has been observed in 5 to 18% of tested prolactinomas and is associated to a decrease in both D2 receptor density and mRNA levels. In this study, we used quantitative RT-PCR to investigate whether expression of G alpha proteins could be also modified in bromocriptine resistant prolactinomas. No difference in G alpha o mRNA levels or in the relative expression of G alpha s between bromocriptine sensitive and bromocriptine resistant prolactinomas was observed. In contrast, the relative expression of G alpha i2 was found to be decreased in bromocriptine resistant prolactinomas when compared to that of bromocriptine sensitive prolactinomas. Interestingly, the relative G alpha i2 expression was correlated to both bromocriptine inhibition of in vitro PRL secretion and D2 receptor mRNA levels. Bromocriptine resistance could thus result from a decrease in D2 dopamine receptors associated with a decrease in G alpha i2 expression.