Granström E
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand Suppl. 1983;113:9-13. doi: 10.3109/00016348309155191.
The prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes constitute a rapidly growing family of compounds, all of which are oxygenated derivatives of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid. Most of these metabolites are biologically very potent substances, displaying a wide variety of actions in many different biological systems. The prostaglandins were originally discovered in the reproductive tract, though it is now known that most cell types in the body possess the enzymes necessary for their biosynthesis. Due to the ubiquitous occurrence of the prostaglandins and related substances, as well as their strong and diversified biological effects, they are believed to participate in numerous biological processes, physiological as well as pathological. In certain cases such a participation has also been proved: in the reproductive tract, prostaglandins are known to be involved in such events as pregnancy, parturition, dysmenorrhea and luteolysis.
前列腺素、血栓素和白三烯构成了一个快速增长的化合物家族，所有这些都是某些多不饱和脂肪酸（如花生四烯酸）的氧化衍生物。这些代谢物中的大多数是生物活性很强的物质，在许多不同的生物系统中表现出各种各样的作用。前列腺素最初是在生殖道中发现的，不过现在已知体内大多数细胞类型都拥有其生物合成所需的酶。由于前列腺素及相关物质普遍存在，以及它们强大而多样的生物学效应，人们认为它们参与了众多生理和病理的生物学过程。在某些情况下，这种参与也已得到证实：在生殖道中，已知前列腺素参与怀孕、分娩、痛经和黄体溶解等事件。
