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Oxytocin release by infused prostaglandin
British Medical Journal
|February 26, 1972
Summary
Prostaglandin infusions stimulate pituitary glands to release oxytocin, even in non-pregnant individuals. This suggests a direct mechanism contributing to prostaglandins' labor-inducing effects.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Reproductive Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Oxytocin is a key hormone in labor induction.
- Prostaglandins are commonly used to induce labor.
- The precise mechanism of prostaglandin-induced labor is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of prostaglandin administration on plasma oxytocin levels.
- To determine if prostaglandins directly stimulate oxytocin release.
Main Methods:
- Serial plasma oxytocin levels were measured in 22 women undergoing labor induction with intravenous prostaglandin E2 or F2alpha.
- Plasma samples were analyzed for oxytocin concentration.
Main Results:
- Oxytocin was detected in 19 of 22 women (60% of samples).
- Detectable oxytocin levels were similar to those during spontaneous labor.
- Oxytocin was found even with fetal demise and in men receiving prostaglandins.
Conclusions:
- Prostaglandins appear to directly stimulate the pituitary gland to release oxytocin.
- This direct pituitary stimulation may contribute to the labor-inducing effects of infused prostaglandins.