William Gibb

TL;DR: In human pregnancy, it is argued that high circulating progesterone concentrations are required to effect regionalization of uterine activity, with predominantly relaxation in the lower uterine segment, allowing contractions in the fundal region to precipitate delivery.

TL;DR: Increased uterine contractility at term and preterm results first from activation and then stimulation of the myometrium, resulting in increased concentrations of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the fetal circulation and regulation of PGHS-2 at term is differentially controlled in fetal and maternal tissue.

TL;DR: Data indicate that with advancing gestation there is a decrease in the level of ABCB1/P-gp in the human placenta indicating that the fetus may be more susceptible to toxic insults in the latter part of gestation.

TL;DR: Prostaglandin formation is also important in infection-induced preterm labour and both phospholipase and PGHS-2 activities can be increased by various cytokines, and glucocorticoids may be important in regulating prostaglandsin formation within the human fetal membranes.

TL;DR: It is suggested that in ovine pregnancy glucocorticoid-stimulated increases in intrauterine corticotropin-releasing hormone expression directly increase fetal placental prostaglandin production, and indirectly increase prostag landin production by maternal uterine tissues through the stimulation of placental estradiol synthesis.