Leukotrienes and myometrial activity of the term pregnant uterus

Biopsies from different segments of the pregnant human uterus were superfused in organ chambers and contractile activity was registered. Leukotriene C4(LTC4) caused inhibition of spontaneous but not noradrenaline induced contractile activity in strips from the cervix. This effect occurred both in early pregnancy and at term. However, the lower and the upper uterine segment of the term pregnant uterus did not respond to LTC4. The results represent a documentation of the segmental differentiation in the uterine response to eicosanoids.