Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide: occurrence and
relaxant effect in the human female reproductive tract.
Steenstrupa, Birgit Ravn, Per Almd, Jens Hannibal, Jorgen Christen
Jorgensen, Connie Palle, Jette Junge, Hanne Borch Christensen, Bent
Ottesen, and Jan Fahrenkrug.
Departments of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Hvidovre, Herlev and
Glostrup Hospitals, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Department of
Pathology and Cytology, University of Lund, Sweden, Department of
Clinical Biochemistry, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen
and Department of Pathology and Cytology, Hvidovre Hospital,
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
APStracts 2:0039E, 1995.
The distribution, localization and smooth muscle effects of pituitary
adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) were studied in the
human female genital tract. The concentrations of PACAP-38 and PACAP
-27 were measured by radioimmunoassays and both peptides were found
throughout the genital tract. The highest concentrations of PACAP-38
were detected in the ovary, the upper part of vagina and in the
perineum. The concentrations of PACAP-27 were generally low, in some
regions below the detection limit and in other regions 1/20 to 1/100
of the PACAP-38 concentrations. Immunocytochemistry revealed that
PACAP was located in delicate varicose nerve fibres which were most
abundant in the internal cervical os where they mainly seemed to
innervate blood vessels and smooth muscle cells. PACAP-38 and PACAP
-27 (10-10 - 10-6 M) caused a concentration dependent relaxation of
the spontaneous activity of the non-vascular smooth muscle strips
from Fallopian tube and myometrium in vitro. Likewise, both peptides
(10-10 - 10-6 M) caused relaxation of norepinephrine (NE) (10-6 M)
precontracted intramyometrial arteries. No effect of the PACAP
-sequences, PACAP 6-27, PACAP 16-38 and PACAP 18-27 on Fallopian tube
was observed. The findings suggest a smooth muscle regulatory role of
PACAP in the human female reproductive tract.
Received 5 December 1994; accepted in final form 17 February
1995.
APS Manuscript Number E507-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 1 March 1995.