This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Chen, G.-D. Articles by Lin, L.-Y. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chen, G.-D. Articles by Chen, Y.-C. Articles by Lin, L.-Y. Pubmed/NCBI databases Gene GEO Profiles HomoloGene UniGene Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Pelvic Support Problems Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Different Expression of Calpains in the Anterior Vaginal wall of Women With and Without Uterovaginal Prolapse

Yi-Ching Chen, MS

Long-Yan Lin, MD, DSc

Department of Obsterics and Gynecology, and Physical Therapy, Chung Shan medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Objective: Tissue ischemia-hypoxia can activate the calpain proteolytic system. Mechanical trauma to the upper vaginal wall and pelvic floor could compromise vascular perfusion and could also result in calpain expression. The aims of this investigation were to assess the expression messenger RNA and proteins for m-calpain and µ-calpain in the vaginal walls of women with and without uterovaginal prolapse.

Methods: The anteiror vaginal walls of 22 women with and without uterovaginal prolpase were evaluated using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting for detecting calpain expression.

Results: The number messenger RNA transcripts of m- and µ-calpain was significantly less in women with uterovaginal prolaps than in women without uterovaginal prolaps (two of 11 and zero of 11 versus eight of 11 and five of 11, P < .05). All women had m-calpain protein expression in the anterior vagianl wall. However, the concentration of m-calpain protein was less, but not significantly different, in women with uterovaginal prolapse than in the women without uterovaginal prolapse (0.386 ± 0.018 versus 0.439 ± 0.011 optical density /mm², P > .05). None of the women with uterovaginal prolapse had expression of µ-calpain mRNA or protein (zero of 11). Expression of protein of calpains in the enterior vaginal wall is not consistent with mRNA transcripts.

Conclusion: Calpain expression may be compromised in the anterior vaginal wall of women with uterovaginal prolapse who have abnormal histologic changes in the vaginal connective tissues or have anterior vaginal laxity.

Key Words: m-calpain • µ-calpain • uterovaginal prolapse • vaginal wall

Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, Vol. 11, No. 2, 113-117 (2004)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsgi.2003.08.006


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?