Prostaglandins and mechanisms of preterm birth.

Increased uterine contractility at term and preterm results first from activation and then stimulation of the myometrium. Activation can be provoked by mechanical stretch of the uterus, and by an endocrine pathway resulting from increased activity of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In sheep fetuses, increased cortisol output during pregnancy regulates expression of prostaglandin synthase type 2 (PGHS-2) in the placenta in an oestrogen-independent manner, resulting in increased concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the fetal circulation.