Regulation of prostaglandin synthesis in the human uterus

Prostaglandins are important regulators of many aspects of reproductive processes from ovulation, fertilization and pregnancy recognition to labor and parturition. These biologically potent compounds are members of the large family of eicosanoids, derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids, principally arachidonic acid, found in the membrane phospholipids of virtually every cell of the human body, accounting for the ubiquity of prostaglandins, which act in a paracrine or autocrine fashion via discrete receptors. The availability of specific prostaglandins in various cells and tissues depends on the presence and activity of specific enzymes that convert a common precursor to the end product, as well as on the rate of enzymatic or spontaneous inactivation of the bioactive compounds. Here we offer a brief review of the regulation of prostaglandin generation in human uterine tissues, focusing on their role in labor and parturition at term and preterm.