Prolactin and relaxin: antagonism on the spontaneous motility of the uterus.
Prolactin (PRL) and Relaxin (RXL) are present in human decidua at term. In previous experiments we observed that the inhibition of spontaneous uterine contractions produced by decidual RLX was masked or absent if the samples were contaminated with PRL. The present study reports the effect of purified human PRL and of sera from hyperprolactinemic patients on the motility of the uterus in vitro. Also, we studied the effect of RLX on the uterus after exposure to PRL. High-PRL sera and purified human PRL produced prompt increases in the frequency and the amplitude of the spontaneous contractions of the rat uterus. PRL antagonized RLX both when the uterus was exposed first to RLX and then to PRL and when it was exposed first to PRL and then to RLX.
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D004336:Drug Antagonism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D012065:Relaxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects
D012709:Serum Albumin; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin; D012065:Relaxin