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The relationship between oxytocin, phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C, and phasic myometrial contractions
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Hospitals, IL 60637, USA.
Objectives:
Oxytocin-stimulated uterine contractions are associated with repetitive cycles of elevated cytosolic calcium, i.e., cytosolic calcium oscillations. The studies in this report were performed to test the hypothesis that phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) is an important component of the myometrial intracellular oscillator.
Methods:
In vitro isometric contraction studies were performed using longitudinal strips of myometrium from nonpregnant, adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Cumulative dose-response studies were performed using oxytocin and aluminum fluoride with and without 2-nitro-4-carboxyphenyl-N, N-diphenylcarbamate (NCDC), an inhibitor of PI-PLC.
Results:
Stimulation of G-proteins coupled to PI-PLC with aluminum fluoride resulted in a significant increase in phasic myometrial contractions comparable to those produced by oxytocin. Inhibition of PI-PLC with NCDC resulted in significant suppression of oxytocin- and aluminum fluoride-stimulated myometrial contractions. In contrast, doses that suppressed agonist-stimulated contractions had only a minimal effect on KCl-stimulated tonic myometrial contractions.
Conclusions:
These studies provide significant support for the novel hypothesis that PI-PLC is an important component of the agonist-stimulated cytosolic calcium oscillator that generates phasic myometrial contractions.