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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Contractility Measurements of Human Uterine Smooth Muscle to Aid Drug Development
Published on: January 26, 2018
Oxytocin antagonists may improve infertility treatment
Piotr Pierzynski1, Torsten M Reinheimer, Waldemar Kuczynski
1Center for Reproductive Medicine KRIOBANK, Bialystok, Poland. piotr.pierzynski@wp.pl
Objective:
To confirm the improvement of uterine receptivity following administration of oxytocin and vasopressin V1A antagonist atosiban.
Design:
Case report.
Setting:
Private reproductive medicine center.
Patient(S):
A 42-year-old woman with a history of 15 years' infertility and seven failed in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF-ET) attempts.
Intervention(S):
Atosiban (mixed vasopressin V1A/oxytocin antagonist registered for the treatment of imminent premature birth) was administered on the 14th day of endometrial synchronization for oocyte donation.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Uterine contractile activity (component of uterine receptivity) and success of treatment of infertility.
Result(S):
Intense spontaneous uterine contractility was visualized by transvaginal sonography. After 1 hour of intravenous infusion of atosiban, a repeated scan showed a significant decrease in contractile activity (11 vs 7 contractions per 4 minutes, respectively). The ET was performed immediately after, and the infusion of atosiban continued for the next 2 hours. The treatment decreased the uterine contractile activity and resulted in successful embryo implantation and a normal twin diamniotic pregnancy.
Conclusion(S):
Atosiban may improve uterine receptivity during ET and may increase success rates of advanced infertility treatment procedures.
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