Expression of oxytocin receptor in human pregnant myometrium

• DOI: 10.1210/en.137.2.780
• Publication Date: 2004-02-23T19:18:04Z
• Authors: T. Kimura
• Keywords: Myometrium; Oxytocin receptor

Around the onset of labor, uterine sensitivity to oxytocin (OT) increases tremendously. Although this is considered reflect OT receptor (OTR) augmentation in myometrium, neither spatial expression OTR nor level message during course pregnancy have been investigated at molecular level. We examined localization and human myometrium by means situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, Northern Western blotting. In term pregnant expressing smooth muscle cells are observed diffusely heterogeneously. Some were expressed high levels messenger RNA protein level, they surrounded with weakly positive for or negative. The transcripts increased according pregnancy. reached over 300-fold parturition compared nonpregnant myometrium. 32 weeks gestation not a relatively large amount (about 100-fold) was expressed. significant revealed also found that augmented after labor. These findings indicated changes dynamically transcription its heterogeneous