Prostacyclin is an autocrine regulator in the contraction of oviductal smooth muscle.
BACKGROUND
It was recently discovered that prostacyclin constituted 40-50% of prostaglandins (PG) produced by minced human oviduct. It is well established that prostacyclin relaxes vascular smooth muscle, but whether oviductal smooth muscle synthesizes prostacyclin and whether its contraction is affected by prostacyclin remain unclear.


METHODS
Smooth muscle microdissected from human oviducts was used for the study. The expression of prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) and prostacyclin receptor (IP) was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Metabolites of [(3)H]PGH(2) were analysed for prostacyclin. Functional coupling of IP to adenyl cyclase was assessed by the accumulation of intracellular cAMP upon prostacyclin challenge. The presence of saturable, specific binding sites for prostacyclin was confirmed by binding assay. The identity of IP was further confirmed by RT-PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis. Finally, the effects of prostacyclin on muscle contraction were studied.


RESULTS
Human oviductal smooth muscle expresses functionally active PGIS and IP. The IP expressed is the same as that cloned from human lung tissue. The ED(50) of prostacyclin to increase intracellular cAMP was 16 nmol/l. Prostacyclin dose-dependently decreased the amplitude of muscle contraction.


CONCLUSIONS
Human oviductal smooth muscle produces prostacyclin, which, in turn, decreases its contractility. Prostacyclin may regulate embryo transport.
Arbab
Farinaz
F
Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, USA.
Goldsby
Jennifer
J
Matijevic-Aleksic
Nena
N
Huang
Gangxiong
G
Ruan
Ke-He
KH
Huang
Jaou-Chen
JC
D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000032:analysis; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016285:Iloprost / Q000378:metabolism; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000032:analysis; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology*; D044262:Prostaglandin H2; D011463:Prostaglandins H / Q000378:metabolism; D044006:Receptors, Epoprostenol; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014316:Tritium
D011463:Prostaglandins H; D044006:Receptors, Epoprostenol; D011982:Receptors, Prostaglandin; D014316:Tritium; D044262:Prostaglandin H2; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D011464:Epoprostenol; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C022461:prostacyclin synthetase; D016285:Iloprost