Primary dysmenorrhoea: the importance of both prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha

Prostaglandins in the human uterus: an interaction between endometrium and myometrium

The interaction between the prostaglandin production of the human endometrium and myometrium has been further investigated using intact pieces of endometrium in homogenates of myometrium. There was an increase in the production of 6 oxo PGF, alpha when these tissues were incubated together, whereas there was no change in the production of PGE, PGF2 alpha or 13, 14 dihydro 15 - keto PGF2 alpha. This endometrial - myometrial interaction could have important implications in the pathogenesis of menorrhagia.

The relationship between menstrual blood loss and prostaglandin production in the human: evidence for increased availability of arachidonic acid in women suffering from menorrhagia

In this study we have obtained endometrium and myometrium from women whose menstrual blood loss had been measured objectively. Samples of tissue were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen for the estimation of PG content and tissue was homogenized and incubated with and without added arachidonic acid. PGE, PGF2 alpha and 6-oxo PGF1 alpha were measured by gas chromatography - mass spectometry. We confirm that the F2 alpha/E2 ratio in the snap frozen samples was significantly lower in women with a high blood loss although this was not reflected in the production by incubated homogenates. Incubation of endometrial tissue with myometrium from the same patient and with a pool of myometrium showed that the source of myometrium was not important. This suggests that previous observations of increased 6 oxo F1 alpha production in incubations of endometrium and homologous myometrium from women with high MBL, resulted from differences in endometrium. When prostaglandin E and F production by endometrium is studied there is a significant inverse correlation between the percentage difference in production with and without added arachidonic acid and menstrual blood loss which suggests that women with high MBL have relatively high levels of available arachidonic acid in their endometrium.