Abstract: | Indomethacin, an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase, added to an
bath in a concentration of 1, 5, and 10 × 10−6 g/ml reduced sparteine-induced contractions of isolated uterine segments from pregnant rats. Contractions induced by prostaglandin F2α and acetylcholine were not reduced.Sparteine increased the prostaglandin F content of the blood and uterine tissue in the pregnant but not in the nonpregnant rat. This increase was significantly reduced by the administration of indomethacin (10 mg/kg). The present study suggests that the mechanism of sparteine action is mediated through a prostaglandin F system. |