Ru 486 Misconceptions Myths and Morals - ressourcesfeministes

RU 486successful transplant for these people. Proponents of PGs inpregnancy-related procedures claim that a single exposureto a ‘small dose of prostaglandin’ has no effect on the immunesystem, but Di Francesco et al. (1990) have reported thatisolated immune insults are more harmful than those of achronic nature (as practised in transplantation).We are unaware of any studies which assure healthywomen that RU 486 and PG, taken together, does not weakenimmune defence against malignancy and infection. SyntheticPG analogues, in microgram (abbreviated to mcg and onethousand times less than a milligram) amounts, induce sufficientimmune suppression in animals to delay the rejection ofexperimental heart and kidney transplants (Wiederkehr et al.,1990 and Redgrave et al., 1991b). Gemeprost and sulprostoneare both PGE 2analogues, that are administered in milligramamounts (abbreviated to mg and one thousand times greaterthan a microgram) with RU 486 to induce abortion. Wheregemeprost is administered as a vaginal pessary, as opposed toan intramuscular PG, the total amount is concentrated locallyin the uterine region leading to levels far in excess ofphysiological concentrations. Until proven otherwise, women’sexposure to synthetic PG during abortion procedures can beregarded as an immune insult.Numerous clinical trials have compared the value of PGtherapy in the healing of gastric and duodenal (stomach)ulcers. Sontag et al., (1985) estimated the misoprostolduodenal ulcer healing rate in non-critically ill patients to be64.9 per cent after treatment with 0.4 mg of misoprostol perday compared with 47.4 per cent in the placebo-treated group.Episodes of diarrhea occurred twice as frequently in themisoprostol group. Misoprostol trials, and those ofTrimoprostil (a PGE 2), Rosaprostol (a prostanoic acid) andEnprostil (a dihydro-PGE 2), have failed to show a healingrate superior to that of cimetidine (Tagemet) which is probablythe most frequently prescribed gastric ulcer medication. Infact, the numerical advantage has remained in favor of84