Analysis of uterine contractility after administration of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide
Pulkkinen, M.; Monti, T.; Macciocchi, A.
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 71(3): 181-185
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-6349 PMID: 1317639 DOI: 10.3109/00016349209009915
Accession: 039270257
To study the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on uterine contractility in different parts of the uterus and on the direction and velocity of propagation of the activity, intra-uterine pressure (IUP) was measured simultaneously in 10 dysmenorrheic and 5 eumenorrheic patients with two microtransducer catheters at two locations (30 mm apart) before and after taking nimesulide, a newly developed NSAID. The uterus developed higher pressure cycles in the fundus than in the isthmus, in both eumenorrheic and dysmenorrheic conditions. Nimesulide did not affect either the active pressure (AP) or the direction and velocity of propagation of the activity, though it alleviated pain significantly. In dysmenorrheic patients, resting pressure (RP) is at a high level only in the fundus. The velocity of propagation ranged from 12 to 19 mm/s. The mathematical probability of procervical activity (1.0 if all procervical; 0.0 if all profundal), and thus the transport, was 0.59 in eumenorrheic and 0.68 in dysmenorrheic patients, the average for the whole series being 0.65. The luminal content (menstrual blood) moves in the cervical direction much more slowly than would be expected on the basis of simple calculations of velocity (velocity vector) of propagation.