title: Effect of amniotic fluid upon prostaglandin E2 and I2 production by cultured human myometrial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our goal was to study the effect of amniotic fluid obtained at 16 and 39 weeks of gestation in normal human pregnancies upon prostaglandin production by human myometrial cells in culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Amniotic fluid, sampled either at 16 weeks, during amniocentesis, or at 39 weeks, during caesarean section before labor, was fractionated by molecular-weight and then incubated with human myometrial cells in culture. We then used radioimmunoassay to measure PGE(2) and PGI(2) production.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The "3-30 kDa" fraction of amniotic fluid sampled at 16 weeks significantly inhibited PGE(2) and PGI(2) production by human myometrial cells. When amniotic fluid was sampled at 39 weeks, it stimulated both PGE(2) and PGI(2) production, and the ">30 kDa" fraction increased levels of PGE(2) considerably more than of PGI(2) (420.0+/-88.0 ng/10(6)cells versus 188.2+/-21.4 ng/10(6)cells, P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amniotic fluid contains substances whose effects in cultured myometrial cells vary according to gestational age and type of prostaglandin. These data suggest that the fetus plays a role in the regulation of myometrial activity during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Inserm U361, Hôpital Cochin-APHP-Université René Descartes, 123 Boulevard Port-Royal, 75014, Paris, France. gilles.kayem@cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kayem
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dallot
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferré
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cabrol
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002585:Cesarean Section; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D011464:Epoprostenol; D015232:Dinoprostone