Prostaglandins, menstruation, and menstrual disorders

ABSTRACT

Prostaglandins play an important role in the mechanism of human menstruation. Furthermore aberrant prostaglandin production may be an intimate component of the pathogenesis of menstrual disorders such as dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia and perhaps the premenstrual syndrome. Inhibitors of prostaglandin biosynthesis available today have proven universally useful in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia. The development of such drugs and endogenous inhibitors of prostaglandin synthase [EIPS] with greater specificity and also perhaps antagonists of the actions of specific prostaglandins is currently a high priority. It may be anticipated that the development of these newer ranges of natural and synthetic drugs will allow treatments of menstrual disorders with greater efficacy, and reduced sideeffects