Circulating levels of placental protein 12 and chorionic gonadotrophin following RU 38486 and gemeprost for termination of first trimester pregnancy

Hum Reprod. 1989 Apr;4(3):337-40. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a136901.

Abstract

First trimester termination of pregnancy was successfully induced in ten patients with RU 38486 followed 2 days later by a prostaglandin (Gemeprost) pessary. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) values remained unaltered until after the abortion. The levels of placental protein 12 (PP12) showed an immediate and significant fall following RU 38486, then rose to values substantially higher than those at the initial visit after 2 days. These findings show that RU 38486 has a direct inhibitory effect on tissues producing PP12 and confirm the progesterone dependency of this protein.

PIP: Blood levels of the placental protein PP12, a protein secreted in response to progesterone, were determined in 10 women having 1st trimester abortions by RU-38486 and prostaglandin. The women were all 9 weeks pregnant, and received 600 mg RU-38486 orally at 10.30 hr, followed 48 hours later by a vaginal suppository containing 1 mg 16,16- dimethyl-trans-2-PGE1 (Gemeprost, May and Baker). They were followed by ultrasound and blood was sampled hourly after RU-38486, and 2-hourly after PG. The protein PP12, assayed by radioimmunoassay, fell significantly over 4 hours after RU-38486 (p0.05), they rose to levels higher than seen initially, and fell somewhat over the 4 hours after PG administration (n.s.). All women aborted completely 2-4 hours after PG. They experienced various side effects such as moderate vaginal bleeding (2), nausea (8), vomiting (3), cramping (10) requiring analgesia (5). This study confirms that PP12 is dependent on progesterone, shows that RU-38486 directly affects the decidua, and constitutes the 1st demonstration of an anti-progesterone effect in women.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortifacient Agents / pharmacology*
  • Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / pharmacology*
  • Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / pharmacology*
  • Abortion, Induced*
  • Alprostadil / analogs & derivatives*
  • Alprostadil / pharmacology
  • Carrier Proteins / blood*
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / blood*
  • Estrenes / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins*
  • Mifepristone
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Proteins / blood*

Substances

  • Abortifacient Agents
  • Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal
  • Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin
  • Estrenes
  • IGFBP1 protein, human
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins
  • Pregnancy Proteins
  • Mifepristone
  • gemeprost
  • Alprostadil