Mhf. Sullivan et al., THE AMNION PRODUCES LITTLE OF THE PROSTAGLANDIN-E2 DETECTED ON THE DECIDUAL SIDE OF HUMAN FETAL MEMBRANES, Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 72(7), 1993, pp. 520-525
Cultured intact fetal membrane disks initially produced high levels of
prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the fetal and maternal sides which decline
d during four days of culture. The transfer of a bolus of PGE2 from th
e fetal side to the maternal side of the membrane ranged from 1% to 3%
after 24 hours of culture, and was a minimum over the period of 48-72
hours from the start of the incubation. To assess the handling of PGE
2 synthesised by the amnion, H-3-arachidonic acid was incorporated int
o cultured amnion and into the amnion side of cultured intact fetal me
mbrane disks. Labelled amnion released H-3-PGE2 on both sides of the t
issue, whereas similarly labelled cultured intact fetal membrane only
had detectable levels of H-3-PGE2 on the fetal side. It was calculated
that no more than 9.7 +/- 1.4% of the PGE2 synthesised by the amnion
crossed to the maternal side of the membrane without being metabolised
during the transfer through the membrane. These results are consisten
t with similar indirect methods which suggested that PGE2 from the amn
ion may have only a limited role in human labor, and indicates the imp
ortance of using appropriate culture systems to investigate intra-uter
ine prostaglandin production.