Relaxin signalling in primary cultures of human myometrial cells

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dc.contributor.authorHeng, K.
dc.contributor.authorIvell, R.
dc.contributor.authorWagaarachchi, P.
dc.contributor.authorAnand Ivell, R.
dc.date.issued2008
dc.descriptionCopyright © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.
dc.description.abstractIn myometrium of pigs and rats, though not humans, relaxin appears to mediate an inhibition of spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractility, presumably acting through a G-protein coupled receptor (RXFP1) to generate cAMP. In humans, circulating relaxin is highest in the first trimester, including the time of implantation, when transitory uterine quiescence could help a blastocyst to implant. We investigated whether relaxin can activate adenylate cyclase in primary human myometrial cells from non-pregnant tissue, and we show that relaxin is able to stimulate the generation of cAMP in a manner, which is dependent upon a tyrosine phosphorylation activity, as in the endometrium. We identified transcripts for the relaxin receptor RXFP1 as full-length variants, though a minor splice variant missing exon 2 was also present in low amounts. These cells also express transcripts encoding RXFP2, the receptor for the closely related hormone, INSL3. Although able to respond to relaxin at high concentrations, this receptor does not appear to function by contributing to the cAMP production in human myometrial cells, nor does INSL3 act as a functional agonist or antagonist of relaxin action. In conclusion, the inability of relaxin to inhibit contractility in human myometrial cells would appear to be due to events downstream of simple cAMP generation.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityKee Heng, Richard Ivell, Prabhath Wagaarachchi and Ravinder Anand-Ivell
dc.identifier.citationMolecular Human Reproduction, 2008; 14(10):603-611
dc.identifier.doi10.1093/molehr/gan051
dc.identifier.issn1360-9947
dc.identifier.issn1460-2407
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/52165
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherOxford Univ Press
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1093/molehr/gan051
dc.subjectrelaxin
dc.subjecthuman myometrium
dc.subjectINSL3
dc.subjectuterine quiescence
dc.subjectmenstrual cycle
dc.titleRelaxin signalling in primary cultures of human myometrial cells
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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