| First Author | Tsuboi K | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | Endocrinology | Volume | 141 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 315-24 |
| PubMed ID | 10614653 | Mgi Jnum | J:59153 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1351092 | Doi | 10.1210/endo.141.1.7236 |
| Citation | Tsuboi K, et al. (2000) Uterine expression of prostaglandin H2 synthase in late pregnancy and during parturition in prostaglandin F receptor-deficient mice. Endocrinology 141(1):315-24 |
| abstractText | PG production in uterine tissues is important for many physiological processes in late pregnancy, including parturition. We examined the expression of the PGH2 synthases, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and COX-2, in uterine tissues during late pregnancy, using PGF receptor-deficient (FP-/-) mice. Female FP-/- mice are unable to deliver normal fetuses at term, as they do not undergo luteolysis necessary for parturition. In wild-type mice, COX-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) was expressed in the endometrial epithelium, myometrium, and decidua throughout late pregnancy. The expression of COX-1 mRNA in the endometrial epithelium and myometrium decreased both in wild-type mice undergoing natural parturition and in FP-/- mice undergoing ovariectomy-induced parturition, but expression of COX-1 mRNA was enhanced in FP-/- mice at the expected term. In wild-type mice, COX-2 mRNA was not expressed in the myometrium before parturition, but was markedly induced during parturition. This induction of COX-2 was absent in FP-/- mice at the expected term, but was found during ovariectomy-induced parturition in these mice. Expression of COX-2 proteins was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. Thus, in uterine tissues, myometrial expression of COX-2 is closely associated with the occurrence of parturition, but uterine expression of COX-1 is induced much earlier and kept at a high level until parturition occurs. These results suggest that COX-1-derived PGs are responsible for the induction of luteolysis, and that COX-2-derived PGs play a role in the final pathway of parturition. |
