Effects of estradiol and oxytocin on the release of prostaglandin-like substance from isolated rat uterus.

Effects of estradiol on the release of prostaglandin-like substance (PG) from rat uterus was investigated. The amount of PG released into a medium that did not contain oxytocin was decreased by estradiol, but the release of PG was remarkably increased by the addition of oxytocin. No significant correlation was found in the relationship between PG release and uterine contraction in uterus of either the ovariectomized rat and that of the estradiol-injected rat. The amount of PG released from the uterus of ovariectomized rat and the uterus of 6 hours after estradiol injection was decreased by indomethacin. The PG release promoting action of oxytocin observed in estradiol-injected rat uterus disappeared completely with treatment of phospholipase C.