Effect of decidual tissue on the uterine production of prostaglandins in pseudopregnant rats

Abstract

The concentration of prostaglandin F (PGF) in uterine vein plasma of non-traumatized pseudopregnant rats and pseudopregnant rats with deciduomata were not significantly different from each other at any of the times of pseudopregnancy studied (days 7, 10 and 12). There was a significant increase in PGF levels on day 10 in both groups of pseudopregnant animals (p < 0.05) compared to the day 4 values, and PGE values were significant greater on day 10 in the decidual tissue-bearing rats (p < 0.01). A slight but not significant elevation in PGE concentration was observed on days 7 and 12 in rats with deciduomata, but there was no significant difference in the control rats on days 4, 7, 10 or 12. The prolongation of pseudopregnancy in rats with deciduomata probably is not due to a decreased production of uterine PGs, and the recent suggestion of a luteotropic effect of decidual tissue in the rat is supported.