The Response of the Ductus Arteriosus to Prostaglandins

Abstract

Effects of various prostaglandin types on strips of lamb ductus arteriosus were investigated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Prostaglandins E 1 and E 2 relaxed markedly the anoxic ductus over a dose range from 10 −9 to 10 −5 M whereas they had little or no effect on the tissue after exposure to oxygen. This is in contrast to papaverine which relaxed the ductus to a similar degree before and after exposure to oxygen. An additional finding was that prostaglandins E 1 and E 2 are less active on the anoxic tissue depolarized by excess potassium. The greater effectiveness of prostaglandins on the anoxic ductus suggests a role for these compounds in the regulation of the vessel tone during fetal life.