The effect of indomethacin on spontaneous activity in the isolated human myometrium and on the response to oxytocin and prostaglandin.

The spontaneous activity of human myometrial strips obtained during the proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle and during the early and late stages of pregnancy was studied. Both prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) and oxytocin caused contractions which were superimposed on a low level of spontaneous activity but only PGF2alpha was seen to affect high levels of activity. Spontaneous contractions were ultimately abolished by the addition of indomethacin. The strips remained responsive to PGF2alpha but not to oxytocin.