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Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on July 30, 2007
Molecular Human Reproduction 2007 13(9):655-661; doi:10.1093/molehr/gam047
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Differential expression of the metalloproteinase MMP3 and the {alpha}5 integrin subunit in human myometrium at labour

Margaret O'Brien1,3, Deirdre O'Shaughnessy1, Elodie Ahamide1, John J. Morrison1,2 and Terry J. Smith1

1National Centre for Biomedical and Engineering Science, Orbsen Building, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Ireland Galway, Clinical Science Institute, University College Hospital Galway, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland

3 Correspondence address. Tel: +353 91 492912; Fax: +353 91 492956; E-mail: margaret.obrien{at}nuigalway.ie

Extensive tissue remodelling occurs in the human myometrium before, during and after parturition. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of two tissue remodelling molecules, matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and {alpha}5 integrin (ITGA5) subunit in human myometrium, during pregnancy and labour. mRNA and protein were isolated from human pregnant labouring and non-labouring myometrial tissue, and also from human primary uterine smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR, real-time fluorescence RT-PCR and western blotting were subsequently performed to determine the expression levels of MMP3 and ITGA5 in the myometrial tissues during pregnancy and labour, and in the primary uterine SMCs. The expression of MMP3 and ITGA5 mRNA and protein are reported for the first time during pregnancy and labour in human myometrium. Furthermore, a significant increase in expression of MMP3 mRNA (41-fold, P = 0.001), and a significant decrease in ITGA5 mRNA expression (4-fold, P < 0.001) at labour, were observed. Protein expression of these two molecules was also altered at labour, pro-MMP3 protein expression significantly increased while ITGA5 protein expression decreased, with labour onset. Expression of these molecules was also observed in primary cultured human uterine SMCs. The differential expression of these two tissue remodelling molecules at labour and their detection in uterine SMCs highlights their potential importance in myometrial function during pregnancy, labour and post-partum.

Key words: integrin/labour/matrix metalloproteinase/myometrium

Submitted on May 11, 2007; resubmitted on June 18, 2007; accepted on June 25, 2007.


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