title: [Role of prostaglandin I2 (prostacyclin) on the maturation of human and rabbit uterine cervix].
abstract: It is important to demonstrate the function of prostaglandins (PG) in the ripening mechanism in the human uterine cervix at term. We have examined PG synthesizing activity in both human and rabbit ripening cervix at delivery and non-pregnant cervix. Microsomal fractions of uterine cervix were incubated with radioactive arachidonic acid. The major product was 6-keto PGF1 alpha (the stable metabolite of prostacyclin, PGI2) in both human and rabbit cervix. The conversion rate of 6-keto PGF1 alpha in ripening cervix was about 20% and the production in ripening cervix was more than 37 times as much per DNA as that in non-pregnant cervix. However, no significant increase in PGE2, F2 alpha or Thromboxane B2 production was observed. We found that the production of 6-keto PGF1 alpha increased significantly from the 20th day of gestation and reached its maximum at delivery in rabbit uterine cervix. Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate treatment for 5 consecutive days from the 20th day of gestation stimulated the production of 6-keto PGF1 alpha in the cervix. These results suggest that PGI2 is one of the important factors in the ripening of uterine cervix during pregnancy.
mesh_terms: D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D015237:Dinoprost; D015232:Dinoprostone; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits; D013929:Thromboxane B2 / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D011458:Prostaglandins E; D011460:Prostaglandins F; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D013929:Thromboxane B2; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate; D015121:6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha; D004247:DNA; D015237:Dinoprost; D011464:Epoprostenol; D015232:Dinoprostone