Prostaglandins biosynthesis in the rabbit uterine cervix at various stages of pregnancy.
The accumulation of prostaglandins (PGs: 6-keto PGF1 alpha, PGE2, PGF2 alpha and TXB2) elicited by A-23187, a Ca(2+)-ionophore, was studied in the uterine cervical tissue taken from non-pregnant and pregnant (10th, 20th and 30th day of pregnancy) rabbits in vitro. At every stage of pregnancy, the accumulation of PGs levels increased as follows; 6-keto PGF1 alpha, PGE2, PGF2 alpha and TXB2. Biosynthesis of each began to increase from the 20th day of pregnancy, and was significantly elevated at the 30th day. Especially, 6-keto PGF1 alpha and PGE2 were remarkably higher than PGF2 alpha and TXB2 at term, and so they are thought to play a more important role in cervical dilation and ripening than the other PGs. Six-keto PGF1 alpha was significantly elevated on the 20th day, when other PGs had not yet began to increase. It is thus conceivable that PGI2 plays an important role in the predispositing of cervical ripening.
Okawa
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fukushima Medical College, Japan.
Suzuki
Y
Y
Hoshi
K
K
Endo
C
C
Sato
A
A
Nakanishi
H
H
D000818:Animals; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011817:Rabbits
D011453:Prostaglandins; D011458:Prostaglandins E; D011460:Prostaglandins F