A study of the possible role of prostaglandins in decidualization using a nonsurgical method for the instillation of fluids into the rat uterine lumen

Abstract

The decidual cell reaction (DCR) is thought to be induced by some substance released when the epithelium is exposed to the implanting blastocyst or an artifical stimulus, but the identity of the putative transmitter is obscure. The effects of prostaglandin [PG]E2 and PGF2.alpha., their precursor arachidonic acid, and an inhibitor of PG synthesis, indomethacin, on the DCR of rats were studied. When indomethacin was given 2 h before the Day 3 stimulus, there was no significant difference in the mean weight (.+-.SE of the mean) of the decidualized horn (1.30 .+-. 0.16 g, n = 6) compared with the controls (1.02 .+-. 0.18 g, n = 8). Indomethacin significantly reduced mean horn weight when given either 2 h before (1.39 .+-. 0.09 g, n = 8, vs. 2.02 .+-. 0.11 g, n = 8 P < 0.001 by Student''s t test) or 8 h after (1.59 .+-. 0.09 g, n = 10, vs. 2.11 .+-. 0.13 g, n = 7; P < 0.01) the oil stimulus on Day 4. A role for PG in the decidualization process is suggested.