Endometrial cholinergic secretory responses during estrous cycle, pregnancy and after estrogen and/or progesterone treatment of the guinea-pig.
During estrous cycle as well as during pregnancy and after treatment with estrogen and/or progesterone uterine mucus secretory responses were studied as amount of carbohydrate released from everted guinea-pig uteri after transmural nerve stimulation of carbachol administration. In estrous cycle both stimuli increased secretion by about 20% except for the late diestrus phase, when no secretory responses were seen. In pregnancy a secretory response was noted at implantation time. From mid pregnancy and onwards secretory responses of increasing magnitude were obtained. Secretory responses persisted post partum. Evidence of an adrenergic inhibitory influence on the neurogenic cholinergic responses during metestrus was noted. Both stimuli increased carbohydrate release by about 50% above resting level in uteri from animals receiving combined hormone treatment. In uteri of animals receiving estrogen only the increase was about 20%. No definite secretory response was obtained in uteri from animals receiving progesterone only. It is suggested that both hormones are necessary for full cholinergic secretory response to nerve stimulation or muscarinic drugs. It is concluded that muscarinic stimulation of the endometrium results in mucus secretion during all crucial events during the reproductive cycle. Furthermore a cholinergic secretory innervation seems to be present at all these times.
D000818:Animals; D002217:Carbachol / Q000494:pharmacology; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000294:innervation*
D002241:Carbohydrates; D004967:Estrogens; D011374:Progesterone; D002217:Carbachol