Arachidonic acid turnover in the guinea pig endometrium

• Main Author: Ning, Angela Chin Wun Sheng
• Published: University of Edinburgh 1983
• Subjects: 611; Human anatomy & human histology
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.348543

Prostaglandin (PG) F output from the guinea pig uterus increases after Day 11 of the oestrous cycle and oestradiol (whose output from the ovary increases after Day 10) acting on a progesterone-primed uterus is probably the physiological stimulus for this increase in uterine PGF„ release. The availability of free Act arachidonic acid in the endometrium is the rate-limiting step in PGF synthesis. The aim of the present studies was to determine the source of arachidonic acid for endometrial PGF synthesis. Initially, the endometrium ^as maintained in tissue culture in the presence of tritiated arachidonic acid ( H-AA) and the radioactive contents of the various lipids was subsequently measured. The uptake of H-AA into phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), was significantly higher on Day 15 (day of high PGF^ synthesis) than on Day 7 (day of low PGF„ synthesis) . Arachidonic acid couid be ir.coroorated into these Act phospholipids by an increase in the mass amounts of phospholipids. However results indicated that there was no significant difference in the amount of phospholipids present on Day 7 and Day 15. Arachidonic acid could be incorporated into the phospholipids either by an increase in de novo synthesis or by the addition to lysophospholipid. The rates-of PC synthesis and phosphatidylinositol synthesis did not differ on Days 7 and 15, indicating that the measured uptake of arachidonic acid into phospholipid is not due to increased de novo synthesis but rather to increased addition to lysophospholipid. Oestradiol may be the stimulus for this latter process.