Endothelin stimulation of rat uterine segment contractility is estrogen-dependent.
To determine whether the effect of endothelin upon in vitro uterine contractility requires estrogen, immature female Long Evans rats were subcutaneously injected daily for 3 days with either estradiol benzoate or vehicle. The uterine contractile response to endothelin (5 or 100 nM) was measured. A response to endothelin in vehicle-treated animals exposed to physiologic (5.6 mM) or high (70.6 mM) potassium levels was also noted. Vehicle-treated uteri did not respond to endothelin; the contractions in estrogen-treated uteri increased by 288%. With high potassium, and without estrogen, no response to endothelin was seen. These data indicate that the contractile effect of endothelin on the uterus requires estrogen.
Gittens
L N
LN
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA.
Wojtczuk
A
A
Weiss
G
G
Goldsmith
L T
LT
D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D011188:Potassium / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*
D016232:Endothelins; D004967:Estrogens; C074283:estradiol 3-benzoate; D004958:Estradiol; D011188:Potassium