Challenge with ovalbumin antigen increases uterine and cervical contractile activity in sensitized guinea pigs.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of ovalbumin challenge on uterine and cervical contractility, intrauterine pressure, and uterine electromyography activity in sensitized guinea pigs.


METHODS
Guinea pigs were sensitized by injection of ovalbumin-aluminum hydroxide suspension. Control animals were injected with the aluminum hydroxide suspension only. On days 55-57 of pregnancy, longitudinal uterine and cervical strips from guinea pigs were prepared for isometric tension recording. Nonpregnant guinea pigs were outfitted with telemetric transducers to record intrauterine pressure and uterine electromyography.


RESULTS
Ovalbumin significantly increased contractility of uterine and cervical strips from sensitized versus nonsensitized animals. These effects were abolished by histamine H(1) receptor antagonist in uterine strips and by histamine H(1) receptor antagonist and a mast cell stabilizer in cervical strips from sensitized animals. Cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors had no significant effect on the response to ovalbumin. Treatment with ovalbumin in vivo significantly increased intrauterine pressure and uterine electromyography activity in sensitized but not in nonsensitized, animals.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that type I hypersensitivity reactions may be important in mediating uterine contractility in pregnant and nonpregnant states.
Bytautiene
Egle
E
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
Vedernikov
Yuri P
YP
Maner
William L
WL
Saade
George R
GR
Romero
Roberto
R
Garfield
Robert E
RE
D000818:Animals; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D009215:Myometrium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011336:Probability; D011897:Random Allocation; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
D010047:Ovalbumin