Increased prostacyclin synthesizing activity in human ripening uterine cervix

Homogenate of human uterine cervix at delivery were incubated with radioactive arachidonic acid. A major metabolite (conversion rate, approx. 20%) was identified with 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha, a metabolite of prostacyclin. The 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha production in the ripening cervix was more than 6 times per wet weight and 37 times per DNA as much as that in the non-pregnant cervix.