Prostaglandin F2 alpha output by human endometrium under superfusion and organ culture conditions.

Specimens of proliferative and secretory human endometrium were incubated under organ culture or superfusion conditions and the levels of PGF2 alpha in the medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. Basal rates of PGF2 alpha output during short-term superfusions and long-term (1-2 day) batch incubations, performed on the same tissue specimens, were similar. Basal output of PGF2 alpha by proliferative endometrium (230-280 ng/mg protein X d) was significantly higher than that of secretory tissue under both experimental conditions. Estradiol (10(-8) M) increased PGF2 alpha output significantly (4-fold) only in secretory endometrium under organ culture conditions; Progesterone (10(-7) M) decreased it significantly (to 1/2-1/4 of the basal level) in both types of endometria during long-term incubations and in proliferative endometrium during superfusion. Glands isolated from proliferative and secretory endometrium produced PGF2 alpha during superfusion at a rate comparable to that of endometrial tissue under similar conditions. PGF2 alpha output by glands isolated from secretory endometrium increased significantly (3-fold) when estradiol was added to the superfusion medium.