The actions of prostaglandins on the smooth muscle of the human urinary tract in vitro.

14 experiments, 10 on bladder muscle strips and 4 on samples of ureteric muscle, were performed to examine the actions of 4 prostaglandins (PGE, PGE2, PGF1alpha and PGF2alpha) on these tissues. Each of the prostaglandins caused bladder muscle to contract and prostaglandin F2alpha was the most potent in this respect. The F series prostaglandins also caused increased ureteric muscle contraction whilst those of the E series inhibited contractions. It is unlikely that contraction is produced by the direct action of prostaglandins on urinary smooth muscle. The suggestion is made that prostaglandins may have a function in the maintenance of vesical tone.