PROLACTIN AND RELAXIN : ANTAGONISM ON THE SPONTANEOUS MOTILITY OF THE UTERUS

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Abstract
Prolactin (PRL) and Relaxin (RXL) are present in human decidua at term. In previousexperiments we observed that the inhibition of spontaneous uterine contractions produced bydecidual RLX was masked or absent if the samples were contaminated with PRL. The present studyreports the effect of purified human PRL and of sera from hyperprolactinemic patients onthe motility of the uterus in vitro. Also, we studied the effect of RLX on the uterus afterexposure to PRL. High-PRL sera and purified human PRL produced prompt increases in the frequencyand the amplitude of the spontaneous contractions of the rat uterus. PRL antagonizedRLX both when the uterus was exposed first to RLX and then to PRL and when it was exposedfirst to PRL and then to RLX.