Cell type specificity and protein kinase C dependency on the stimulation of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha production by oxytocin and platelet-activating factor in bovine endometrial cells.

The regulation of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha in primary cultures of epithelial and stromal cells of bovine endometrium was investigated using two physiological agents, oxytocin and platelet-activating factor, and the protein kinase C activator, 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. At the basal level, epithelial cells produced more prostaglandin F2 alpha than did stromal cells (P < or = 0.0001) and stromal cells produced more prostaglandin E2 than did epithelial cells (P < or = 0.0001). In the presence of oxytocin, production of prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha increased in a dose-dependent manner, only in epithelial cells. Stromal cells did not respond to oxytocin, suggesting that the oxytocin response is cell type specific, acting preferentially on the cell type in which prostaglandin F2 alpha is the major prostaglandin produced. Platelet-activating factor increased prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha production in epithelial cells at 1 and 10 pmol l-1 (PGE2: 10 pmol l-1, P < or = 0.01; PGF2 alpha: 1 pmol l-1, P < or = 0.02). Stromal cells also responded to platelet-activating factor, but only at high concentrations (PGE2: 0.1 mumol l-1, P < or = 0.001; PGF2 alpha: 0.1 mumol l-1, P < or = 0.0001). These results further demonstrate the differences in epithelial and stromal cells; epithelial cells are more sensitive to platelet-activating factor than are stromal cells. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate increased prostaglandin production in a dose-dependent manner in both epithelial and stromal cells, indicating that protein kinase C activation can increase prostaglandin production in these cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)