PHARMACOLOGY OF PARTURITION AND ABORTION

The natural hormones PGF2α and PGE2 have luteolytic activity in rats but oxytocic activity in guinea pigs and primates. These activities are not correlated with each other. Artificial Prostaglandin (PG) derivatives may have the one or the other potency selectively. This dissociation explains success or failure to induce abortion in different species. Abortive effects of PG can be exerted in the presence of high serum progesterone (SP)-levels in guinea pigs and rhesus monkeys but not in rats. This indicates similarities and dissimilarities of myometrial placental or fetal physiology in the investigated species respectively. The rapid elimination of PG in relation to the considerable latency of uterine contractions in guinea pigs raises questions concerning the mode of action of abortive compounds. The antifertile effects of Sulprostone (S) in guinea pigs mentioned in this paper are those which led to the discovery of this compound as a potentially useful drug. © 1979.