The effect of 19-hydroxy prostaglandins on the human myometrium in vitro

Human semen contains high amounts of different prostaglandins of which the quantitatively dominating compounds are 19-hydroxy PGE and 19-hydroxy PGF. The effect of PGE and PGF on the contractility of the human uterus is well known whereas the corresponding 19-hydroxy derivatives have not previously been examined in detail. In the present investigation 19-hydroxy PGE1 was shown to dose-dependently decrease the frequency and the amplitude of the contractions in human myometrial tissue in vitro. The effect of seminal 19-hydroxy prostaglandins may thus be of importance for sperm transport through the female genital tract.