Control of myometrial contractility : an experimental study in the chronically instrumented ewe

This thesis presents the results of experimental studies to evaluate the functional relationship between estrogen and prostanoid action, formation of gap junctions, and myometrial activity. The following questions were specifically addressed: - are estrogen-induced changes in myometrial activity related to the formation of gap junctions ? - is formation of gap junctions associated with improved coordination of electrical and mechanical myometrial activity? - what is the role of prostanoid synthesis in the modulation of myometrial activity and formation of gap junctions as related to the effects of estrogen ? The chronically instrumented oophorectomized ewe was used as the experimental model to assess the effects of pharmacologic manipulation of electrical and mechanical myometrial activity in the absence of endogenous ovarian hormones. A separate study was designed to analyse the possible effects of instrumentation with an intrauterine pressure catheter on myometrial activity in the chronically instrumented oophorectomized ewe. The assessment of electrical and mechanical signals of myometrial activity obtained in vivo reqnired the development of a program for computer-aided analysis which is also presented in this thesis.