title: Is the spontaneous motility of isolated rat uterus controlled by prostaglandin E?
abstract: Variations in the spontaneous contractile activity during 6 hours following isolation of uterine horns from proestrus, metestrus and spayed rats, were explored. In estrus and metestrus preparations the contractions declined during 60 min and between 180--200 min a progressive spontaneous recovery (abolished by indomethacin) was observed up to 360 min. Uteri from proestrus and spayed animals exhibited a continuous depression without recovery during the whole experimental period. At 60 min, uterine horns from estrus animals (which showed a marked contractile decrement) released to the suspending medium significantly less prostaglandin E-like material than at 360 min, i.e. when contractions had almost completely recovered. No modification in the amount of prostaglandin F-like material was detected accompanying these spontaneous contractile variations. In the spayed group at 60 min of functioning (i.e. when the contractile impairment was significantly smaller than at a later time) the release of PGE was greater than at 360 min. These findings suggest a possible control of rat uterine contractions by PGE, rather than by PGF.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014590:Uterine Contraction
chemical_list: D011458:Prostaglandins E; D011460:Prostaglandins F; D007213:Indomethacin