Regulation of collagen dissolution in the human cervix by oestradiol-17β and progesterone

Abstract

Explants of non-pregnant human cervix in culture for 10 days spontaneously synthesized collagenolytic enzymes which dissolved the collagen in the tissue, resulting in the release of hydroxyproline-containing peptides. Progesterone at 8 x 10-7 M and oestradiol-17β at 4 x 10-6 M reduced this breakdown by 50%, but oestradiol-17β was only inhibitory if the tissue was maintained in an oestrogen-containing environment throughout the preparation of the tissue explants. We conclude that the connective tissue matrix of the human cervix is partly under hormonal control.