The Effect of 17β-Estradiol and Progesterone on Prostaglandin Production by Human Endometrium Maintained in Organ Culture

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Abstract
Endometrium collected from 18 normal women at various stages of the menstrual cycle was maintained in organ culture for periods of 6 days. Both prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α) and PGE were detected in medium from late proliferative (days 10–14; n = 13) and late secretory (days 20–26; n = 5) endometria cultured in the absence of exogenous steroids. During the first 48 h in culture, the output of PGF2α by secretory endometrium was significantly greater than that of proliferative tissue. The addition of 17β-estradiol to the culture medium at doses ranging from 1.0–100.0 ng/ml induced a significant increase in the output of PGF2α by secretory but not proliferative endometria. The addition of progesterone at doses ranging from 5.0–500.0 ng/ml significantly reduced the output of PGF2ll and PGE by both proliferative and secretory endometria and prevented the 17β-estradiol-stimulated increase in PGF2α output by secretory tissue. (Endocrinology106: 1599, 1980)