Premium
Are leukotrienes involved in human uterine contractility?
Author(s) -
BERNAL A. LÓPEZ,
SOLER R. CAÑETE,
TURNBULL A. C.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1989.tb03258.x
Subject(s) - myometrium , contractility , endocrinology , medicine , oxytocin , arachidonic acid , chemistry , uterine contraction , receptor , eicosanoid , uterus , biology , biochemistry , enzyme
Summary. The effects of leukotrienes (LT) on the contractility of human and rat myometrial strips in vitro were compared with the effects of prostaglandins (PGs) and oxytocin. Preparations of human myometrial membranes were investigated for the presence and characteristics of LTC 4 receptors. Neither the peptido‐leukotrienes (LTC 4 , LTD 4 , LTE 4 ) nor LTB 4 had any consistent effect, stimulatory or inhibitory, on human pregnant or non‐pregnant myometrium, at doses up to 1·25 μM; nor did they have any effect in rat non‐pregnant myometrium. As expected, PGE 2 , PGF 2α (0·3 μM) and oxytocin (5 nM) stimulated human pregnant myometrium. PGF 2α stimulated and PGE 2 inhibited human non‐pregnant myometrium but oxytocin had no effect; all three compounds stimulated rat non‐pregnant myometrium. The binding of 3 H‐LTC 4 to human myometrium was specific (LTC 4 > LTD 4 >>> LTE 4 , LTB 4 , PGE 2 , PGF 2α , arachidonic acid) but of low affinity compared with the binding of 3 H‐PGE 2 to the same membrane preparations. These data support the view that leukotrienes have little direct influence on myometrial contractility.