INFLUENCE OF UNDERFEEDING ON THE SPONTANEOUS CONTRACTION AND ON METABOLISM OF LABELED ARACHIDONIC-ACID IN UTERI ISOLATED FROM INTACT AND OVARIECTOMIZED RATS

The effects of restricted diet (50% of the normal intake during 25 day s) on the isometric developed tension (IDT), and on the metabolism of labelled arachidonic acid in uteri from intact and spayed (25 days) ra ts, were studied. Underfeeding produced a fall in the contractile acti vity of intact rats, while in ovariectomized rats contractile activity increased. Indomethacin reduced uterine contractile activity in all t he cases under study. The metabolism of arachidonic acid into differen t eicosanoids, PGE(2), PGF(2 alpha), 6-keto-F-1 alpha, and TXB(2), sho wed that the restricted diet diminished PGE(2) and PGF(2 alpha) levels in intact rats, significantly. The reduction in uterine contractile a ctivity and reduced levels of the arachidonic acid metabolites, PGE(2) and PGF(2 alpha), were not seen in ovariectomized animals.