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Objective: The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to test the hypothesis that endothelin-3 (ET-3) is involved in PRL secretion via systemic hormonal interaction during labor. Materials and methods: Fifty healthy pregnant women with singleton pregnancies were included in the present study. At delivery, blood samples were drawn from umbilical vein and artery. At the same time, a blood sample was obtained from a peripheral vein of the mother. In all blood samples, plasma ET-3 and serum PRL concentrations were determined. The main outcome measures were the differences between maternal peripheral blood, umbilical artery and vein in terms of ET-3 and PRL levels, and the associations between ET-3 and PRL levels. Results: ET-3 values (mean±SEM) in umbilical artery did not differ significantly from those in umbilical vein (4.94±0.27 vs 5.05±0.32 pg/ ml) but were in both vessels significantly higher than in maternal vein (1.14±0.56 pg/ml, p |
