1. A simple axenic medium suitable for the growth of the myxamoebae of a strain of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum is described. 2. Procedures suitable for the growth of this strain in liquid and on solid media are described. 3. Conditions suitable for initiating the cell differentiation of myxamoebae grown axenically are described.

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Objective To measure endothelium-dependent relaxation in myometrial resistance arteries and to compare this parameter in nonpregnant and normotensive pregnant women and those with pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia.Design A prospective study.Setting Nottingham City Hospital.Sample Thirty-seven nonpregnant women undergoing hysterectomy and 5 1 pregnant women undergoing caesarean section, of whom there were 39 normotensive and 12 with pre-eclampsia.Methods Resistance arteries, dissected from myometrial biopsies, were mounted on a wire myograph and preconstricted with vasopressin then subjected to incremental doses of bradykinin.Results Endothelium-dependent relaxation to bradykinin was seen in the vessels of nonpregnant and normotensive pregnant women. Markedly reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation was found in the myometrial arteries from women with pre-eclampsia when compared with both nonpregnant (P < O*OOOl) and normotensive pregnant (P < 0.0001) women.Conclusion A significant loss of endothelium-dependent relaxation in myornetrial resistance arteries in pre-eclampsia may contribute to the altered vasoreactivity seen in pre-eclampsia, and particularly to the decreased placental perfusion and fetal growth retardation commonly associated with this condition.