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We previously demonstrated that the antiprogestogen RU 486, when superfused on myometrial strips, induces a rapid decrease in spontaneous uterine contractile frequency, an increase in amplitude and duration of contractions, and a concomitant decrease in 6-keto PGF(1alpha) release. In this study, we present further work on the role of calcium transients and the involvement of the PLC/PKC pathway in mediating RU 486 effects. We found no clear causal relationship between the spontaneous contractility controlled by external Ca++ concentration and 6-keto PGF(1alpha) release depending mostly on intracellular Ca++ mobilization. We show that RU 486 strengthened the inhibitory effect of TMB8, a potent inhibitor of internal calcium, on both spontaneous contractility and 6-keto PGF(1alpha), release and antagonized the stimulatory action of thapsigargin, a toxin blocking the endoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (ER Ca++ ATPase). These data indicate that RU 486 could act as an inhibitor of intracellular Ca++ mobilization. A slight but significant decrease of the prostanoid liberation was observed in the presence of U73122, an inhibitor of PLC, but not in the presence of neomycin, another PLC inhibitory compound. PKC inhibitors, staurosporine and H7 did not significantly affect spontaneous 6-keto PGF1alpha release, showing that PIP2 hydrolysis and PKC pathway were not involved in the basal release of the prostacyclin metabolite. Vasopressin (AVP), an agent known to induce contractility of the non-pregnant human uterus, markedly increased 6-keto PGF(1alpha) release in a dose-dependent manner. Stimulation of GTP-regulated proteins (G proteins) by ALF4 was accompanied by a rise in 6-keto PGF(1alpha) liberation and a high contractile activity. The effects of both vasopressin and ALF4- were not significantly opposed by RU 486, indicating that other sources of Ca++, not controlled by the steroid, were involved in the agonist-stimulated prostanoid release. Studies with structurally related RU 486 analogues showed that the steroid effects were not dependent on their antihormonal activity, but rather on a specific 11beta arylsubstitution and a 17beta-hydroxy-13beta-methyl configuration of the 4,9-estradien-3-one molecule.

We studied the effect of antiprogesterone RU 486 on spontaneous uterine contractility and PGI2 release with human myometrial strips superfused "in vitro". A decrease of PGI2 release into the superfusion medium was observed after 20 min superfusion. The inhibition was dose-dependent and reversible. After 20 min washing with tyrode medium without RU 486, the uterine strips recovered their initial rate of release. R5020, a progesterone agonist, did not affect PGI2 release nor dexamethasone and testosterone. Parallel to the decrease of PGI2 observed during RU 486 superfusion, the uterine spontaneous contraction frequency decreased, while the amplitude and duration of contractions increased. The alteration of uterine contractility was also rapid, dose-dependent and reversible. Modification of uterine strip spontaneous contractility, similar to those induced by RU 486, were also observed with superfusions of R5020 at concentrations as low as 10(-9)M, dexamethasone (10(-8)M), but not with superfusions of testosterone. These observations are not in favour of a progesterone-receptor mediated effect of RU 486 in our model. The mechanism of action may be related to the antiprogesterone specific structure i.e. the bulky substituent at the C-11 position. The RU 486 effect on uterine strip contractility, mimicked by other steroids, could point to a non-specific lipid/membrane interaction. However, the fact that testosterone did not affect motility, may indicate a possible specificity of steroids having a 3 oxo pregnene structure.

Using PGH2 as substrate, we have previously demonstrated that human placenta synthesizes mainly PGE2, TxB2 and PGD2(1,2). Other reports have shown that placental tissue generates a substance which inhibits ADP-induced platelet aggregation and which was supposed to be PGI2 (3). The present study indicates that the stability of that substance is different from the stability of prostacyclin (released by umbilical artery pieces). By GC-MS and multiple ion-monitoring, we have shown the presence of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (the stable metabolite of PGI2) in the umbilical artery incubation medium, while no trace of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha could be found in the placental medium. No conversion of AA to 6-keto-PGF1 alpha by placental microsomes was observed, even in the presence of antioxidants. The placenta possesses, in addition to the known 15-OH-PGDH and delta-13 reductase activities, a weak 9 OH PGDH which is specific for PGF2 alpha (and not PGI2 nor 6-keto-PGF1 alpha). GC-MS analysis showed that the expected metabolites of PGI2 through those three enzymes were not found in the placental medium, indicating that neither PGI2 synthesis nor metabolism could be demonstrated in the placenta.