Cellular mechanisms mediating the stimulation of ovine endometrial secretion of prostaglandin F2 alpha in response to oxytocin: role of phospholipase C and diacylglycerol.

The first objective was to describe and evaluate the relationship between the ability of oxytocin to stimulate the activity of phospholipase (PL) C and its ability to stimulate the release of prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha in ovine endometrial tissue. Caruncular endometrial tissue was collected from ovariectomized ewes after completion of an 11-day steroid replacement protocol. In experiment 1, explants were incubated either in the presence (10(-6) M) or absence of oxytocin for 0, 1, 3, 10, 30 or 100 min to examine the time-course for activation of PLC and release of PGF2 alpha in response to oxytocin. An increase in the activity of PLC was detected at 3 min while an increase in the release of PGF2 alpha was not detected until 10 min (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, explants were incubated in the presence of various oxytocin analogues (10(-6) M) to compare their abilities to activate PLC and release PGF2 alpha. Oxytocin and three receptor agonists stimulated the activity of PLC and the release of PGF2 alpha (P < 0.05) while two oxytocin receptor antagonists had no effect on either response. In experiment 3, explants were incubated in the presence of oxytocin or arginine vasopressin at 10(-9) to 10(-6) M to establish dose-response curves for the activation of PLC and release of PGF2 alpha. For both hormones, significant increases (P < 0.05) in the release of PGF2 alpha were observed at 10(-8) M while increases in PLC activity were not detected until 10(-7) M was used. In experiment 4, explants were pretreated with either U-73122 (an inhibitor of PLC activity) or U-73343 (an inactive analogue of U-73122). Explants were then treated with control medium, oxytocin or AlF4-. Both oxytocin and AlF4-stimulated the activity of PLC and the release of PGF2 alpha (P < 0.05). U-73122 blocked the ability of oxytocin to stimulate the release of PGF2 alpha (P < 0.05) but had no effect on its ability to stimulate the activity of PLC (P > 0.1). Based on the results from these experiments, the role of PLC in mediating the stimulatory effect of oxytocin on the release of PGF2 alpha remains unclear. The second objective was to evaluate the role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in mediating the stimulatory effect of oxytocin on endometrial secretion of PGF2 alpha. In experiment 5, explants were incubated in vitro with varying doses of two DAG analogues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)