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ASYNCHRONISM BETWEEN TUBAL AND UTERINE ACTIVITY IN WOMEN

Ovarian steroids are known to exert regulatory influences on human myometrial activity (Reynolds, 1949). In the non-pregnant uterus, both spontaneous activity and sensitivity to neurohypophysial hormones have been shown to be diminished by oestrogens and progesterone (Coutinho & Lopes, 1968). In the latter study, uterine activity increased after withdrawal of oestrogens alone or after withdrawal of both oestrogen and progesterone. In both instances, the response of the myometrium to oxytocin or vasopressin was considerably exaggerated. During the ovulatory phase, no response could be elicited by these neurohypophysial hormones but during the luteal phase the uterus responded to vasopressin and remained refractory to oxytocin.

Extensive studies by the present authors and by other investigators (Moir, 1944; Hendricks, 1965; Coutinho, 1967) have dealt with the effects of ovarian steroids on the non-pregnant human uterus. On the other