Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Neil Chapman, Kelly Harper, Emeritus Professor Nick Europe-Finner, Professor Steve RobsonORCiD
Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.
Human parturition is associated with a modification in the sensitivity of the myometrium to progesterone. The molecular basis for this change, however, remains unclear. It is well documented that progesterone can exert its effects through non-genomic mechanisms, including acting through membrane-bound progesterone receptors (mPRs). Recently, a novel membrane-bound PR, termed mPRα, was cloned. mPRα was unlike any other PR in the databases, but it was seen to have significant homology to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). In this study, we examined the spatio-temporal expression of mPRα mRNA in human cervix and both lower and upper myometrial segments from non-pregnant (NP), pregnant (P) and spontaneously labouring (SL) women. We observed an incremental increase in mPRα mRNA expression in NP and P samples with the peak level being observed in SL tissues. No major differences were observed between upper or lower pregnant myometrial regions. Interestingly, levels of mPRα transcripts were substantially greater in labouring lower segment myometrium compared with labouring upper segment. Significantly, we failed to detect mPRα message in either unripe or ripe human cervices. These data suggest that mPRα protein function may play a role in regulating lower segment myometrial activity during labour. Whether it functions in the cervix, however, remains unclear. © 2006 Oxford University Press.
Author(s): Chapman NR, Kennelly MM, Harper KA, Europe-Finner GN, Robson SC
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Molecular Human Reproduction
Year: 2006
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 19-24
ISSN (print): 1360-9947
ISSN (electronic): 1460-2407
Publisher: Oxford University Press
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molehr/gah248
DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gah248
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
