CONCENTRATIONS OF 6-OXO-PROSTAGLANDIN F1α AND THROMBOXANE B2 IN THE TRACHEAL FLUID OF FOETAL SHEEP
Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford, OX3 9DU (Received 21 July 1978) Prostaglandins of the E and F series have been shown to relax or contract respectively guinea-pig trachea and recently it has been demonstrated that the prostaglandin endoperoxides PGG2 and PGH2 (immediate precursors of prostaglandins E and F) have far greater potency in contracting tracheal smooth muscle than prostaglandin F (Hamberg, Svensson, Hedqvist, Strandberg & Samuelsson, 1976). Furthermore, both thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin can also elicit contraction of the trachea with thromboxane A2 being considerably more active (Omini, Moncada & Vane, 1977; Svensson, Strandberg, Tuvemo & Hamberg, 1977). Administration of thromboxane A2 has been shown to raise the tracheal insufflation pressure in guinea-pigs (Svensson et al. 1977) and indeed its stable metabolite thromboxane B2 is released in relatively large amounts from sensitized guinea-pig lungs when challenged with antigen (Dawson, Boot, Cockerill,