Prostaglandin Concentrations in Ovine Maternal and Fetal Tissues at Late Gestation

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Abstract
Maternal and fetal sheep organs were measured for their concentrations of prostaglandins (PG) E2, F2α, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGF2α (PGFM), 6-keto PGF1α (hydrolysis product of PGI2), and 6-keto PGE1 (enzymatic product of PGI2) by radioimmunoassay at day 131 of pregnancy (0.90 gestation). It was observed that the concentrations of PGFM were greater (p2 and 6-keto PGF1α were present in maternal lungs in high concentrations. Fetal prostaglandin concentrations were high in the chorioallantois, fetal portion of the cotyledons and amnion, while they were very low in the kidney, liver, and lung. Fetal lung concentrations were lower than maternal lung concentrations (p1α concentrations were significantly greater (p1α levels were equal to PGE2 levels. 6- Keto PGE1 concentrations were consistently among the lowest in all tissues measured. These results suggest that the endometrium may serve as a metabolic barrier to PG diffusing from the chorioallantois to the myometrium, that the capacity of pulmonary tissue to produce PG may increase with age, that the fetal membranes and cotyledons may be one major source of circulating PG in the fetus, and that 6-keto PGF1α is the major metabolite of PGI2 in ovine tissues.