Regional changes in catecholamine content of the pregnant uterus.
High-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection was used to identify and measure catecholamines in rat, rabbit, sheep, guinea-pig and human uteri and follow changes with pregnancy. Noradrenaline was consistently the major catecholamine and pregnancy caused a regionally specific fall in its concentration which, in rat, rabbit and guinea-pig, was associated with a decline in total content. Adrenaline was undetectable (less than 10 pmol/g myometrium) in all species and at all gestational ages studied. Dopamine and its metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were detected at high concentrations in guinea-pig and particularly sheep uterus. In guinea-pig uterus the dopamine/DOPAC ratio fell dramatically with pregnancy, suggesting that increased quantities of dopamine were released and catabolized. The dopamine/noradrenaline ratios suggested that dopamine is stored with noradrenaline in adrenergic neurones in guinea-pig myometrium and within an additional neuronal or cellular store(s) in sheep uterus.
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012756:Sheep; D014599:Uterus / Q000032:analysis*
D002395:Catecholamines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine