Maximal response to oxytocin of the isolated myometrium from pregnant patients with intrahepatic cholestasis.

Prematurity and fetal death are common complications in patients with cholestasis of pregnancy. Both conditions appear to be associated with abnormal patterns of uterine activity. We studied the oxytocin-induced contractile activity in uterine strips taken from patients with cholestasis of pregnancy (n = 6) and from women with normal pregnancy (n = 6). Contractile activity of the myometrium in response to oxytocin was significantly higher in patients with cholestasis of pregnancy than in normally pregnant patients, at doses of 10(-6), 10(-4), and 10(-2) M. We found that there is a greater maximal response to oxytocin in strips of myometrium from patients with cholestasis of pregnancy than from normally pregnant patients.