We previously demonstrated that the antiprogestogen RU 486, when superfused on myometrial strips, induces a rapid decrease in spontaneous uterine contractile frequency, an increase in amplitude and duration of contractions, and a concomitant decrease in 6-keto PGF(1alpha) release. In this study, we present further work on the role of calcium transients and the involvement of the PLC/PKC pathway in mediating RU 486 effects. We found no clear causal relationship between the spontaneous contractility controlled by external Ca++ concentration and 6-keto PGF(1alpha) release depending mostly on intracellular Ca++ mobilization. We show that RU 486 strengthened the inhibitory effect of TMB8, a potent inhibitor of internal calcium, on both spontaneous contractility and 6-keto PGF(1alpha), release and antagonized the stimulatory action of thapsigargin, a toxin blocking the endoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (ER Ca++ ATPase). These data indicate that RU 486 could act as an inhibitor of intracellular Ca++ mobilization. A slight but significant decrease of the prostanoid liberation was observed in the presence of U73122, an inhibitor of PLC, but not in the presence of neomycin, another PLC inhibitory compound. PKC inhibitors, staurosporine and H7 did not significantly affect spontaneous 6-keto PGF1alpha release, showing that PIP2 hydrolysis and PKC pathway were not involved in the basal release of the prostacyclin metabolite. Vasopressin (AVP), an agent known to induce contractility of the non-pregnant human uterus, markedly increased 6-keto PGF(1alpha) release in a dose-dependent manner. Stimulation of GTP-regulated proteins (G proteins) by ALF4 was accompanied by a rise in 6-keto PGF(1alpha) liberation and a high contractile activity. The effects of both vasopressin and ALF4- were not significantly opposed by RU 486, indicating that other sources of Ca++, not controlled by the steroid, were involved in the agonist-stimulated prostanoid release. Studies with structurally related RU 486 analogues showed that the steroid effects were not dependent on their antihormonal activity, but rather on a specific 11beta arylsubstitution and a 17beta-hydroxy-13beta-methyl configuration of the 4,9-estradien-3-one molecule.