Prostaglandins - Role And Activity

What Are Prostaglandins? by Jane Thurnell-Read

Prostaglandins were first discovered in 1935 in seminal fluid and assumed to be produced in the prostate, hence the name. Since then these hormone-like substances have been found to be continuously synthesised from essential fatty acids by most cells throughout the body.

About 30 prostaglandins have been identified and they are divided up into three groups: series 1, 2 and 3. Individual prostaglandins do not have a name, but are referred to as PG plus a letter and the number of the series they belong to, e.g. PGD2. They are generally quickly degraded (broken down), so they are short-acting substances.

Prostaglandins have various functions. They:

• Relax the muscles in the walls of blood vessels, acting as powerful vasodilators and so reducing blood pressure (e.g. PGA1 and PGE1).

• Stimulate uterine muscle contraction in pregnant women at term or in inducing therapeutic abortions (e.g. PGE1).

• Play an important role in both enhancing and inhibiting the inflammatory response of the body (e.g. PGE1 reduces inflammation and PGG2 promotes inflammation).

• Enhance or inhibit the contraction of the smooth muscles of the intestinal wall.

• Stimulate the re-absorption of bone in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Unfortunately I have not been able to obtain samples of all the prostaglandins, but some are available in Body Biochemical test kit 5, useful for kinesiologists and EAV practitioners.

Copyright 2007 Jane Thurnell-Read