The effect of prostaglandins on the bioconversion of arachidonic acid in cervical tissue in early human pregnancy.

The aim of the present study was to investigate in late first trimester and early second trimester patients whether whole cell homogenates of cervical tissue incubated with 14C-arachidonic acid was affected by pretreatment for 12 to 14 hours with PGE2 and 9-deoxo- 16,16-dimethyl-9-methylene PGE2 (9-methylene PGE2). After extraction, purification and separation, identification of the compounds found during incubation was achieved using radio-gas liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Treatment with 9-methylene PGE2 accomplished a reduced production of 14C-labelled PGF2 alpha, -PGE2 and TxB2, while pretreatment with PGE2 induced increase in the production of 14C-6-keto-PGF1 alpha when cervical tissue homogenates were compared with specimens obtained from non-pretreated patients. Recently we reported a significantly increased formation of so far unidentified metabolite(s) in homogenates of human cervical tissue specimens obtained at or near term when compared with corresponding specimens obtained during early pregnancy. With both types of prostaglandin pretreatment there was a tendency of increased formation of these metabolites. It seems possible that the influence on the biochemistry of cervical tissue induced by PGE2 and 9-methylene PGE2 is mediated via the endogenous arachidonic acid cascade towards non-prostaglandin compound(s).