Prostaglandin, << `pros` tuh GLAN duhn, >> is the name of a group of important chemical compounds. They are modified versions of fatty acids found throughout the bodies of human beings and all other animals. They help perform a variety of jobs, such as controlling stomach acid production, regulating blood pressure and body temperature, and altering muscles of the bronchi, intestines, uterus, and other body organs. They also play a major role in reproduction.
Scientists believe that prostaglandins serve as part of the body’s control system. Hormones, another important group of chemical substances, carry messages from the glands to various organs in the body (see Hormone ). Prostaglandins, on the other hand, act locally between cells. They have a role in protecting the body from certain unhealthful conditions. For example, prostaglandins made in the stomach prevent ulcers. However, when a person’s physical condition is impaired, prostaglandins can make things worse if produced in large amounts. This sometimes occurs when a person is in shock.
Prostaglandins were first discovered in the early 1930’s. But until the late 1960’s, scientists did not learn how to produce them from common materials. Since then, researchers have found how to make prostaglandin analogues (stable, long-acting versions of prostaglandins) and antagonists (chemicals that block the action of prostaglandins). They also have found that aspirin works by preventing the formation of prostaglandins from certain fatty acids.
Since the early 1970’s, prostaglandin drugs have been used to perform abortions or to bring on childbirth. In addition, experiments show that prostaglandins–and their analogues and antagonists–might be used to treat many kinds of disorders. Such disorders include arthritis, asthma, blocked nasal passages, high blood pressure, and ulcers.
