Prostaglandin-oxytocin Enhancement and Potentiation and their Clinical Applications

Abstract

We would like to thank Professor Sheila Sherlock and her colleagues for their advice and help in carrying out this study, and we are also grateful to Ciba Laboratories for generous supplies of rifampicin. We would also like to thank the nursing staff of the chest unit for their precise recording of the results.References Cannetti, G., Le Lirzin, M., Proven, G., Rist, N., and Grumbach, F. (1968 ARNOLD GILLESPIE British Medical Journal, 1972, 1, 150-152 Summary The pharmacological phenomena of enhancement and potentiation of uterine response occur respectively when combinations of some prostaglandins and oxytocin are given serially and simultaneously to a patient. Employing these phenomena allows small doses of the drugs to achieve the same effects as a large dose given alone. In a pilot study of the use of the combination of prostaglandin and oxytocin for the induction of mid-trimester abortion seven of nine women were aborted within 48 hours. Side effects attributable to prostaglandin were eliminated or reduced in severity.

Misoprostol Vaginal Insert for Successful Labor Induction

“…Although no assessment was made of contraction duration, intensity, or quality, 8 these findings provide reassurance that the misoprostol vaginal insert did not appear to potentiate the effects of oxytocin, in contrast to use of some other labor induction agents. [11][12][13] The results of this phase II investigation are comparable with results of Miso-Obs-004, a phase III investigation 5 insofar as the 118 women treated with the MVI 100 in the phase II investigation had similar efficacy outcomes to the 428 MVI 100 -treated women and the 436 Cervidil-treated women in the phase III study.…”

Oxytocin Release by Infused Prostaglandin

“…Other factors might be involved, including alterations in steroid synthesis within the fetoplacental unit, the release of oxytocic factors, including oxytocin itself, by the mother, or an enhancement of the response of the myometrium to oxytocic factors. Such enhancement has been shown both in vivo (Gillespie, 1972) and in vitro (Clegg et al, 1966;Brummer, 1971) and seems to be specific to the ketonic E prostaglandins.…”

Arachidonic acid metabolism, pain and hyperalgesia: the mode of action of non‐steroid mild analgesics.

“…However, it was discovered that PGE-induced inflammatory lesions became hyperalgesic, or more sensitive to touch (Solomon, Juhlin & Kirschbaum, 1968;Juhlin & Michaelsson, 1969). Moreover, intra-arterial, intravenous or intramuscular injections of PGEs were reported to cause overt pain and headache (Bevegard & Oro, 1969;Karim, 1971;Collier, Karim, Robinson & Somers, 1972;Gillespie, 1972). Ferreira (1972) (Vane, 1971;Smith & Willis, 1971;Ferreira, Moncada & Vane, 1971 Moncada et aL (1979) and .…”