Inhibition of Cyclooxygenase Contracts Chicken Ductus Arteriosus

Ductus arteriosus (DA) is an essential fetal artery that connects the main pulmonary artery and the descending aorta. Mammalian DA closes right after birth through vasoconstriction via a decrease in circulating prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) [1]. Avian DA also closes after birth although avians have no placenta that is a source of PGE2 in mammals. Previous studies have demonstrated that the PGE2 signal pathway is not involved in the constriction of isolated chicken DA [2]. However, the in vivo effect of PGE2 in avian DA has been little investigated.