This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map 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 HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Bryant-Greenwood, G. D. Articles by Novy, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bryant-Greenwood, G. D. Articles by Kern, A. Articles by Yamamoto, S. Y. Articles by Sadowsky, D. W. Articles by Novy, M. J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Relaxin and the Human Fetal Membranes

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, National Primate Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon, gbg{at}pbrc.hawaii.edu

Andras Kern, PhD

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, National Primate Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon

Sandra Y. Yamamoto, BS

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, National Primate Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon

Drew W. Sadowsky, PhD

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, National Primate Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon

Miles J. Novy, MD

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, National Primate Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, Beaverton, Oregon

The human fetal membranes are complex tissues that perform many important functions during gestation. The extracellular matrix provides their strength to withstand the forces directed from the fetus and myometrium. Relaxin is a collagenolytic hormone that causes increased production of the matrix metalloproteinases. Its expression from the decidua is increased in patients with preterm premature rupture of the membranes, and its leucine-rich G receptor 7 is upregulated at preterm. The authors previously showed that relaxin is not involved in the infection-mediated cytokine response, but in the absence of infection, it causes increased secretion of both interleukin -6 and interleukin-8 from the membranes. In this article, the authors propose that relaxin is one of a number of sterile stimuli capable of causing increased proinflammatory cytokines, similar to but less robust than the effects of infection. These probably represent distinct inflammatory pathways involving different intracellular signaling events, which can result in either preterm premature rupture of the membranes or preterm labor. The current challenge is to fully understand these pathways and to clarify their similarities and differences.

Key Words: Relaxin • fetal membranes • sterile infection • cytokines.

Reproductive Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 8 suppl, 42-45 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1933719107310821


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

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. J. Lockwood, W. Murk, U. A. Kayisli, L. F. Buchwalder, S.-T. Huang, E. F. Funai, G. Krikun, and F. Schatz Progestin and Thrombin Regulate Tissue Factor Expression in Human Term Decidual Cells J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2009; 94(6): 2164 - 2170. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R. Challis, C. J. Lockwood, L. Myatt, J. E. Norman, J. F. Strauss III, and F. Petraglia Inflammation and Pregnancy Reproductive Sciences, February 1, 2009; 16(2): 206 - 215. [Abstract] [PDF]