Abstract
Failure of the cervix to dilate is an important cause of dystocia in the ewe and other mammals. It is therefore important to develop objective methods of assessing the cervical state to understand how cervical softening is regulated. The extensibility (creep) of standard sized strips of ovine cervical tissue was measured in vitro using a creep testing device. There was a three-fold increase in the extensibility of the tissue taken from ewes during labor compared to saline treated controls ( P < 0.05). Infusion of estradiol-17β (E 2β) for 18 h commencing on day 145 of gestation caused a marked increase in extensibility of the tissue ( P < 0.05). Increase in extensibility was associated with a rise in PGFM and fall in plasma progesterone. Sodium meclofenamate (MFA) infused simultaneously with E 2β, blocked the E 2β induced softening of the cervix despite the low plasma progesterone levels. Similarly cervices from sheep receiving MFA alone had low extensibility. E 2β-induced softening of the ovine cervix appears to be modulated in part by prostaglandins.
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