Prostaglandin E2 production by uterine stromal cell line UIII: regulation by estradiol and evidence of an ethanol action.

We have recently established a uterine stromal cell line (UIII). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether these cells have retained the ability to produce and release prostaglandins after several passages and whether this production was regulated. UIII cells, grown in basal conditions, released a very low amount (40.6 +/- 2.9 pg/24h/10(6) cells) of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) though cellular content was more elevated (192 +/- 23 pg/10(6) cells). Ethanol increased the cellular content but decreased the release of PGE2, whereas estradiol 17 beta (E2) increased it in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on the cellular content. The PGE2 release by cells grown in medium containing 10 microM arachidonate (AA) reached 1.39 +/- 0.05 ng/24h/10(6) cells, and was further increased to 2.1 +/- 0.1 ng/24 h/10(6) cells by the addition of ethanol. Under the latter condition, E2 was ineffective. This study also showed that UIII cells expressed an immunoreactive pancreatic type 14 kD PLA2. A substantial increased 14 kD PLA2 expression was observed in ethanol-treated cells, suggesting that ethanol-effect on prostaglandin production might be partly mediated by PLA2 increase. Medium supplementation with arachidonate also resulted in a significant increase of intracellular 14 kD PLA2 expression. The present results showed that uterine stromal UIII cells have retained the enzymatic machinery to produce PGE2. Moreover these data demonstrate that ethanol and E2 affect differently uterine PGE2 production.

Early variations of blood plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase in newborn calves--a test of colostrum intake.

Fourteen newborn calves had low gamma-glutamyl transferase catalytic activity concentration in blood plasma (10 to 31 U/liter). Colostrum intake induced a dramatic increase of plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase activity, which was maximal on the 1st or 2nd day (370 to 5000 U/liter) after birth; then plasma enzyme activity slowly decreased and was stable about 100 U/liter on the 20th day. In two calves given either boiled or synthetic milk, plasma gamma-glutamyl transferase activity was not higher than 25 U/liter. Gamma-glutamyl transferase activity of blood plasma in newborn calves is an easy and inexpensive test of colostrum intake.