Oxytocin and Estrogen Receptor Expression in the Myometrium of Pregnant Relaxin-Deficient (Rlx?/?) Mice
Abstract: Relaxin decreases oxytocin-stimulated rat myometrial contractions in vitro. This study used pregnant relaxin-deficient (Rlx?/?) mice to investigate the interaction between relaxin, oxytocin receptor (OTR), and estrogen receptor (ER) expression in the myometrium. Myometrial OTRs were significantly decreased on gestation day 18.5 in Rlx?/? mice than in Rlx+/+ mice. An increase in ER? in Rlx+/+ mice at term was correlated with a decrease in ER?, which was not observed in Rlx?/? mice. Treatment of Rlx?/? mice with relaxin had no effect on OTR, LGR7, or ER? expression, but it caused a significant decrease in ER?s.
estrogen receptor myometrium oxytocin receptor