NCT06930391

Effect of Extracellular Calcium on Carbetocin Mediated Contractility in Human Myometrium

Effect of Extracellular Calcium on Carbetocin Mediated Contractility in Human Myometrium: An Ex-Vivo Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) continues to be an increasing problem globally. Uterotonics play an essential role in the pharmacological management of uterine atony. Carbetocin, a long acting analog of oxytocin has been recommended as a first line uterotonic for PPH prophylaxis at cesarean delivery. Considering many woman have associated comorbidities and are at high risk of PPH, finding alternative pharmacological agents is essential. Calcium is a key factor for myometrial contractions and calcium blood levels can be low at the end of pregnancy. Both hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia could lead to a decrease in myometrial contractions. It is already been demonstrated that in both desensitized and naïve myometrium, normocalcemia provides a better uterine tone compared to hypo and hypercalcemia when oxytocin is given as the first uterotonic drug. Currently, the role of extracelullar calcium in carbetocin- induced contractility is unknown. This will be the first ex vivo study to test the effects of extracellular calcium on oxytocin pretreated and naive myometrium. The results of this study will provide evidence on the use of this safe drug in clinical practice, particularly in women with labour arrest, and provide alternative pharmacological strategies to both prevention and treatment of PPH, thus improving our clinical practice. The investigators hypothesize that extracellular normocalcemia would provide superior carbetocin-mediated contractility in both naive and oxytocin-pretreated myometrium compared with hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia.

Conditions

• Postpartum Hemorrhage (Primary)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Oxytocin	Oxytocin 10-5M will be added to 3 groups of myometrial strips for 2 hours to induce desensitization.
DRUG	Carbetocin	Increasing concentrations of carbetocin in a pattern of 1 log molar increase every 10 min, from 10-10 M to 10-5 M
DRUG	Calcium	Calcium chloride in the following concentrations:1.25mM, 2.5mM and 5.0mM.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-09-15
• Primary completion: 2026-06-01
• Completion: 2026-06-01
• First posted: 2025-04-16
• Last updated: 2025-09-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada