It is generally well accepted that nitrovasodilator-induced relaxation of vascular smooth muscle involves elevation of cGMP and activation of a specific cGMP-dependent protein kinase [protein kinase G (PKG)]. However, the protein targets of PKG and the underlying mechanisms by which this kinase leads to a relaxant response have not been elucidated. Several types of smooth muscle, including rat ...

Adenomyosis is defined as the presence of ectopic endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium. It is a disease of the inner myometrium and results from infiltration of the basal endometrium into the underlying myometrium. Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the main radiologic tools for this condition. A thickness of the junctional zone of at lea...

A role for insulin-like growth factors (IGF) in autocrine or paracrine growth stimulation of tumor cells has been proposed for tumors of different origins. We have studied IGF gene expression in human uterus smooth muscle (myometrium) and in a panel of benign (leiomyoma) and malignant (leiomyosarcoma) smooth muscle tumors. Using RNA transfer blot analysis we could demonstrate that in smooth mus...

Expression of GJA1 (commonly known as connexin43 or Cx43), a major myometrial gap junction protein, is upregulated before the onset of delivery, suggesting an essential role for Cx43-mediated gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in normal uterine contraction during parturition. To determine how a disease-linked Cx43 mutation affects myometrial function, we studied a mutant mouse mo...

Store-operated calcium (Ca(2+)) entry (SOCE) can be mediated by two novel proteins, STIM/Orai. We have previously demonstrated that members of the TRPC family, putative basal and store operated calcium entry channels, are present in human myometrium and regulated by labor associated stimuli IL-1β and mechanical stretch. Although STIM and Orai isoforms (1-3) have been reported in other smooth mu...

BACKGROUND Human uterus undergoes distinct molecular and functional changes during pregnancy and parturition. Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) has recently been shown to play a key role in the control of smooth muscle tension. The role of endogenous H(2)S produced locally in the control of uterine contractility during labour is unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Human myometrium biopsies were ob...

BACKGROUND Studies on the human myometrium have reported on different microarrays containing different sets of genes or ESTs. However each study profiled only a small number of patients due to various constraints. More profiling information would be an addition to our knowledge base of parturition. METHODS We compiled from five human studies, transcriptional differences between the non pregna...

A role for insulin-like growth factors (IGF) in autocrine or paracrine growth stimulation of tumor cells has been proposed for tumors of different origins. We have studied IGF gene expression in human uterus smooth muscle (myometrium) and in a panel of benign (leiomyoma) and malignant (leiomyosarcoma) smooth muscle tumors. Using RNA transfer blot analysis we could demonstrate that in smooth mus...

Steroid hormones are produced by the porcine uterus. We hypothesized that the uterus in pigs possesses active 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ(5)-Δ(4) isomerase (3β-HSD) responsible for progesterone and androstenedione production, that uterine steroids may supplement the amount of steroid hormones produced by embryos and corpus luteum and that these steroids are necessary for maintenance of pr...

OBJECTIVE Over half of twin pregnancies in US and UK deliver prematurely but the reasons for this are unclear. The contractility of myometrium from twin pregnancies has not been directly investigated. The objective of this research was to determine if there are differences in the contractile activity and response to oxytocin, between myometrium from singleton and twin pregnancies, across a rang...