Abstract
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) F2α 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 PGF2α in response to oxytocin. An increase in the activity of PLC was detected at 3 min while an increase in the release of PGF2α 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 PGF2α. Oxytocin and three receptor angonists stimulated the activity of PLC and the release of PGF2α (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 PGF2α. For both hormones, significant increases (P<0·05) in the release of PGF2α 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 PGF2α (P<0·05). U-73122 blocked the ability of oxytocin to stimulate the release of PGF2α (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 PGF2α remains unclear.
The second objective was to evaluate the role of diacylglycerol (DAG) in mediating the stimulatory effect of oxytocin on endometrial secretion of PGF2α. In experiment 5, explants were incubated in vitro with varying doses of two DAG analogues. Both analogues stimulated the release of PGF2α at 10−6 m (P<0·05), the highest dose tested. Corresponding inactive control compounds had no stimulatory effect. In experiment 6, explants were incubated with two synthetic DAGs and two indole-derived analogues of DAG. The indole derivatives stimulated the release of PGF2α. The synthetic DAGs were less effective in stimulating the release of PGF2α at the doses tested. In experiment 7, explants were preincubated with R59022 or LiCl. R59022 enhanced both the basal and oxytocin-stimulated released of PGF2α (P=0·07). LiCl promoted an increase in the accumulation of inositol trisphosphate (P<0·05) but had no effect on the release of PGF2α (P>0·5). These data indicate that DAG stimulates release of PGF2α from ovine endometrial tissue and may mediate the stimulatory effect of oxytocin on release of PGF2α.
Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 141, 481–490
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