CONCENTRATIONS OF VARIOUS ARACHIDONIC-ACID METABOLITES IN MENSTRUAL FLUID ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MENSTRUAL PAIN AND ARE INFLUENCED BY HORMONALCONTRACEPTIVES

In a pilot study we investigated the association between concentration s of various eicosanoids in menstrual blood with pain and oval contrac eptive use. Menstrual fluid teas collected on tampons by 12 women who did not use an oral contraceptive but suffered from slight primary dys menorrhea and by three pain-free women who used an oval contraceptive. Eicosanoids (cyclooxygenase products: 6-ketoprostaglandin F-1 alpha, thromboxane B-2, prostaglandin E(2), prostaglandin F-2 alpha, 13,14-di hydro-15-ketoprostaglandin F-2 alpha, 12-hydroxy-heptadecatrienoic aci d; lipoxygenase products: 5-, 12-, 15-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (H ETE), leukotriene B-4, leukotriene C-4, leukotriene D-4, leukotriene E (4)) and female sex steroids (17 beta-estradiol and progesterone) were analyzed by the combined use of high-performance liquid chromatograph y and radioimmunoassay. 12-HETE was the main arachidonic acid metaboli te. An increased metabolism of arachidonic acid teas associated with p ain, especially when synthesis of 12-HETE was elevated. Oral contracep tive use decreased the synthesis of prostaglandins as well as leukotri enes. The concordant changes of cycloohygenase and lipoxygenase produc ts in dysmenorrhea or in oral contraceptive use may be explained by an increased or decreased phospholipid metabolism, respectively.