prostaglandin
Meaning of prostaglandin: Prostaglandins are lipid signaling compounds made throughout the body that promote inflammation, pain, fever, and smooth muscle contraction.
Definition of prostaglandin
Prostaglandins are a group of lipid, or fat based, signaling compounds made by cells throughout the body from a fatty acid called arachidonic acid. Unlike hormones released by a single gland, prostaglandins are produced locally and act mainly on nearby cells rather than traveling widely through the bloodstream.
Different prostaglandins contribute to inflammation, pain, and fever, help regulate blood clotting, and cause smooth muscle to contract, an effect involved in uterine contractions during labor and in normal digestive tract movement. Prostaglandins also help protect the stomach lining from its own acid.
Because inflammation, pain, and fever depend heavily on prostaglandins, many common pain relievers, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, work by blocking the enzymes that produce them, which also explains why these medications can reduce the stomach's natural protection and irritate its lining.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Prostaglandin levels in the tissue sample were elevated, consistent with an active inflammatory process.
Good to know
Prostaglandins act locally on nearby tissue rather than circulating widely like a typical hormone, which is why their effects are concentrated in the area where they are produced.
Word origin
Where “prostaglandin” comes from
The name combines Greek prostates, meaning prostate gland, and Latin glans, the root of gland, reflecting an early and later corrected belief that these compounds originated in the prostate gland.