The effect of infusions with two analogues of prostaglandin F2alpha on corpus luteum function.

With the exception of one volunteer given the prostaglandin during ovulation, a transient decline in progesterone during the infusion was observed with both compounds. It is likely that the marked declines that were observed cannot be attributed solely to diurnal variation. Although the menstrual cycle was shortened in some cases after the infusion, this was not well-correlated with the acute effects seen at the time of infusion. Under the experimental conditions of this study, neither analogue appeared to be luteolytic. However, infusions with both compounds did alter serum progesterone transiently. It seems likely that both compounds do exert a potent effect on the corpus luteum and may in fact be luteolytic when given at some other time in the menstrual cycle.