| First Author | Voltolini C | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Endocrinology | Volume | 156 |
| Issue | 2 | Pages | 670-9 |
| PubMed ID | 25426872 | Mgi Jnum | J:220767 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5636112 | Doi | 10.1210/en.2014-1432 |
| Citation | Voltolini C, et al. (2015) Urocortin 2 role in placental and myometrial inflammatory mechanisms at parturition. Endocrinology 156(2):670-9 |
| abstractText | The purpose of the study was to investigate urocortin (Ucn)2 involvement in placental and myometrial inflammatory pathways associated with parturition by evaluating: 1) Ucn2 and its receptor, CRH-receptor type 2 (CRH-R2), expression in laboring/nonlaboring human gestational tissues and in mouse utero-placental tissues approaching delivery; and 2) Ucn2 effect on myometrial contractility and on the expression of inflammatory mediators (prostaglandin F2alpha receptor and cytokines) and regulation of Ucn2 by TNF-alpha in cultured myometrial cell line. Placenta (n = 16), fetal membranes (n = 16), and myometrium (n = 22) were obtained from healthy pregnant women delivering at term by vaginal/elective caesarean delivery and from timed-pregnant mice on days 16-19. Expression of Ucn2/CRH-R2 in human/mouse tissues and inflammatory mediators in myometrial cell lines were measured by RT-PCR or ELISA, mouse Ucn2/CRH-R2 protein localization by immunohistochemistry. Ucn2 but not CRH-R2 was up-regulated (P < .05) in all human tissues in labor (compared with before labor) and increased significantly (P < .01) in mouse placenta approaching delivery. Ucn2 was up-regulated by TNF-alpha via nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB) in myometrium cell lines (P < .05 or P < .01 on the basis of treatment doses) and increased proinflammatory mediators and prostaglandin F (PGF2alpha) receptor expression (P < .05) via CRH-R2, without a direct effect on contractility. Placental and myometrial Ucn2 may play a role in the endocrine-inflammatory processes of parturition, representing a potential target for treating inflammation-induced obstetric complications. |
