PMID- 9709980
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19980902
LR  - 20100825
IS  - 0021-972X (Print)
IS  - 0021-972X (Linking)
VI  - 83
IP  - 8
DP  - 1998 Aug
TI  - Gestational changes in the levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) 
      and TGFbeta receptor types I and II in the human myometrium.
PG  - 2987-92
AB  - As term approaches, a number of key proteins [contraction-associated proteins 
      (CAPs)] are expressed within the human myometrium that are essential for the 
      activation of powerful coordinated contractions during labor. The nature of the 
      signals that switch on the synthesis of CAPs in vivo is not known. The 
      ryanodine-sensitive intracellular Ca2+ release channel (RyR2) is a CAP whose 
      expression in vitro is activated by transforming growth factor-beta (TGFbeta). 
      The present experiments were performed to determine whether TGFbeta and TGFbeta 
      receptors are present in the human myometrium at term and to explore the idea 
      that they might form part of a signaling system in vivo. TGFbeta receptor types I 
      and II, but not III, were demonstrated in myometrial smooth muscle in tissue 
      taken from nonpregnant, pregnant nonlaboring, and spontaneous laboring women. 
      Western blotting was used subsequently to determine the relative expression of 
      TGFbeta receptor types I and II. Using nonpregnant myometrium as a baseline 
      control the levels of expression of receptor types I and II were significantly 
      increased by 168 +/- 19% (n = 6) and 162 +/- 22% (n = 7) in pregnant nonlaboring 
      myometrium. In spontaneous laboring myometrium the levels of TGFbeta receptor 
      type I and II expression were 93 +/- 12% (n = 6) and 85 +/- 11% (n = 7), 
      respectively, compared to nonpregnant control values and were significantly lower 
      than levels in pregnant nonlaboring tissues. The total TGFbeta1 levels in the 
      myometrial tissues were 334 +/- 10, 534 +/- 73, and 674 +/- 106 pg/g tissue wet 
      wt in nonpregnant, pregnant nonlaboring, and spontaneous laboring myometrium (n = 
      3 in each group), respectively. Thus, the TGFbeta signaling system appears to be 
      up-regulated in the myometrium before the onset of parturition. The apparent loss 
      of receptors in the spontaneous laboring samples in the presence of elevated 
      total levels of TGFbeta may be indicative of agonist-induced receptor 
      down-regulation. These observations support the idea that cytokines, in 
      particular TGFbeta1, may play a role in the normal processes that prepare the 
      myometrium for parturition at term.
FAU - Hatthachote, P
AU  - Hatthachote P
AD  - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Medical School, University of 
      Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
FAU - Morgan, J
AU  - Morgan J
FAU - Dunlop, W
AU  - Dunlop W
FAU - Europe-Finner, G N
AU  - Europe-Finner GN
FAU - Gillespie, J I
AU  - Gillespie JI
LA  - eng
GR  - Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - J Clin Endocrinol Metab
JT  - The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism
JID - 0375362
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta)
RN  - 0 (Transforming Growth Factor beta)
SB  - IM
MH  - Blotting, Western
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Immunohistochemistry
MH  - Labor, Obstetric/physiology
MH  - Myometrium/chemistry/*metabolism
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta/analysis/*metabolism
MH  - Signal Transduction
MH  - Transforming Growth Factor beta/analysis/*metabolism
EDAT- 1998/08/26 00:00
MHDA- 1998/08/26 00:01
CRDT- 1998/08/26 00:00
PHST- 1998/08/26 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1998/08/26 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1998/08/26 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1210/jcem.83.8.4992 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Aug;83(8):2987-92. doi: 10.1210/jcem.83.8.4992.