title: Suppression of concentration of endometrial prostaglandin in early intra-uterine and ectopic pregnancy in women.
abstract: Concentrations of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and prostaglandin E (PGE) were measured in endometrium from 18 women with ectopic pregnancies. In the nine pregnancies not associated with vaginal bleeding or an intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD; intact ectopics), concentrations of PGF2 alpha (12.8 +/- 7.4 (S.E.M.) ng/g) and PGE (4.7 +/- 3.0 ng/g) were similar to those in decidua from nine intra-uterine pregnancies of comparable gestational age (14.4 +/- 4.4 and 8.2 +/- 2.2 ng/g respectively). In both ectopic and intra-uterine pregnancies concentrations of prostaglandins were significantly lower than those found in endometrium throughout the normal menstrual cycle (P < 0.01). In nine ectopic pregnancies with associated vaginal bleeding and/or an IUCD, concentrations of PGF2 alpha and PGE were significantly higher than in the intact group (P < 0.05), although the concentration of PGF2 alpha remained significantly lower than levels in normal secretory endometrium (P < 0.05). These results suggested that suppression of endometrial synsthesis of prostaglandin during early pregnancy may be mediated systemically rather than through a local action of the conceptus.
mesh_terms: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008598:Menstruation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000378:metabolism*; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011458:Prostaglandins E; D011460:Prostaglandins F; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol