Regulation of collagen dissolution in the human cervix by oestradiol-17 and progesterone

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Abstract
Explants of nonpregnant human cervix in culture for 10 days spontaneously synthesized collagenolytic enzymes which dissolved the collagen in the tissue, resulting in the release of hydroxyproline-containing peptides. Progesterone at 8 .times. 10-7 M and estradiol-17.beta. at 4 .times. 10-6 M reduced this breakdown by 50%, but estradiol-17.beta. was only inhibitory if the tissue was maintained in an estrogen-containing environment throughout the preparation of the tissue explants. The connective tissue matrix of the human cervix apparently is partly under hormonal control.