Increased postpartum collagenolytic activity in cervical connective tissue from women treated with prostaglandin E2

Cervical biopsies obtained from 7 patients immediately following parturition induced by intracervical application of 0.5 mg prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in viscous gel were compared with similar biopsies from 11 spontaneously delivered women. A DNP-peptide hydrolytic activity (collagenase) was significantly increased in cervical tissue from the PGE2-induced patients compared with controls. In patients with prompt clinical response, the increase was nearly twofold. No differences were found in the concentrations of water, sulfated glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid, hydroxyproline or leukocyte elastase. Thus, PGE2-induced cervical priming seems to be associated with an increased collagenolytic activity.