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Buxton ILO, Asif H, Barnett SD. β3 Receptor Signaling in Pregnant Human Myometrium Suggests a Role for β3 Agonists as Tocolytics. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1005. [PMID: 37371585 DOI: 10.3390/biom13061005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Preterm labor leading to preterm birth is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. At the present time, nothing can reliably halt labor once it begins. The knowledge that agonists of the β2 adrenergic receptor relax airway smooth muscle and are effective in the treatment of asthma led to the notion that β2 mimetics would prevent preterm birth by relaxing uterine smooth muscle. The activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by β2 receptors is unable to provide meaningful tocolysis. The failure of β2 agonists such as ritodrine and terbutaline to prevent preterm birth suggests that the regulation of uterine smooth muscle is disparate from that of airway. Other smooth muscle quiescent-mediating molecules, such as nitric oxide, relax vascular smooth muscle in a cGMP-protein kinase G-dependent manner; however, nitric oxide activation of protein kinase G fails to explain the relaxation of the myometrium to nitric oxide. Moreover, nitric oxide-mediated relaxation is blunted in preterm labor, and thus, for this reason and because of the fall in maternal blood pressure, nitric oxide cannot be employed as a tocolytic. The β3 adrenergic receptor-mediated relaxation of the human myometrium is claimed to be cAMP-dependent protein kinase-dependent. This is scientifically displeasing given the failure of β2 agonists as tocolytics and suggests a non-canonical signaling role for β3AR in myometrium. The addition of the β3 agonist mirabegron to pregnant human myometrial strips in the tissue bath relaxes oxytocin-induced contractions. Mirabegron stimulates nitric oxide production in myometrial microvascular endothelial cells, and the relaxation of uterine tissue in vitro is partially blocked by the addition of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase blocker Nω-Nitro-L-arginine. Recent data suggest that both endothelial and smooth muscle cells respond to β3 stimulation and contribute to relaxation through disparate signaling pathways. The repurposing of approved medications such as mirabegron (Mybetriq™) tested in human myometrium as uterine tocolytics can advance the prevention of preterm birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain L O Buxton
- Myometrial Function Group, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Hazik Asif
- Myometrial Function Group, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Scott D Barnett
- Myometrial Function Group, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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Zeng C, Xia T, Zheng S, Liang L, Chen Y. Synergistic Effect of Uroguanylin and D 1 Dopamine Receptors on Sodium Excretion in Hypertension. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11:e022827. [PMID: 35229618 PMCID: PMC9075328 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.121.022827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Oral NaCl produces a greater natriuresis and diuresis than the intravenous infusion of the same amount of NaCl, indicating the existence of a gastro‐renal axis. As one of the major natriuretic hormones secreted by both the intestines and the kidney, we hypothesized that renal uroguanylin interacts with dopamine receptors to increase sodium excretion synergistically, an impaired interaction of which may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Methods and Results In Wistar‐Kyoto rats, the infusion of uroguanylin or fenoldopam (a D1‐like receptor agonist) induced natriuresis and diuresis. Although subthreshold dosages of uroguanylin or fenoldopam had no effect, the coinfusion of subthreshold dosages of those reagents significantly increased sodium excretion. The coinfusion of an antagonist against D1‐like receptors, SCH23390, or an antagonist against uroguanylin, 2‐methylthioadenosine triphosphate, prevented the fenoldopam‐ or uroguanylin‐mediated natriuresis and diuresis in Wistar‐Kyoto rats. However, the natriuretic effects of uroguanylin and fenoldopam were not observed in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The uroguanylin/D1‐like receptor interaction was also confirmed in renal proximal tubule cells. In renal proximal tubule cells from Wistar‐Kyoto rats but not spontaneously hypertensive rats, stimulation of either D1‐like receptors or uroguanylin inhibited Na+‐K+‐ATPase activity, an effect that was blocked in the presence of SCH23390 or 2‐methylthioadenosine triphosphate. In renal proximal tubule cells from Wistar‐Kyoto rats, guanylyl cyclase C receptor (uroguanylin receptor) and D1 receptor coimmunoprecipitated, which was increased after stimulation by either uroguanylin or fenoldopam; stimulation of one receptor increased renal proximal tubule cell membrane expression of the other. Conclusions These data suggest that there is synergism between uroguanylin and D1‐like receptors to increase sodium excretion. An aberrant interaction between the renal uroguanylin and D1‐like receptors may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Zeng
- Department of Cardiology of Chongqing General Hospital Cardiovascular Research Center of Chongqing CollegeUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences Chongqing P. R. China
| | - Tianyang Xia
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital The Third Military Medical University Chongqing P. R. China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center Chongqing Institute of Cardiology Chongqing P. R. China
| | - Shuo Zheng
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital The Third Military Medical University Chongqing P. R. China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center Chongqing Institute of Cardiology Chongqing P. R. China
| | - Lijia Liang
- Department of Cardiology of Chongqing General Hospital Cardiovascular Research Center of Chongqing CollegeUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences Chongqing P. R. China
| | - Yue Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital The Third Military Medical University Chongqing P. R. China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research Chongqing Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center Chongqing Institute of Cardiology Chongqing P. R. China
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Transcription factors regulated by cAMP in smooth muscle of the myometrium at human parturition. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:997-1011. [PMID: 33860781 PMCID: PMC8106496 DOI: 10.1042/bst20201173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) contributes to maintenance of a quiescent (relaxed) state in the myometrium (i.e. uterine smooth muscle) during pregnancy, which most commonly has been attributed to activation of protein kinase A (PKA). PKA-mediated phosphorylation of cytosolic contractile apparatus components in myometrial smooth muscle cells (mSMCs) are known to promote relaxation. Additionally, PKA also regulates nuclear transcription factor (TF) activity to control expression of genes important to the labour process; these are mostly involved in actin-myosin interactions, cell-to-cell connectivity and inflammation, all of which influence mSMC transition from a quiescent to a contractile (pro-labour) phenotype. This review focuses on the evidence that cAMP modulates the activity of TFs linked to pro-labour gene expression, predominantly cAMP response element (CRE) binding TFs, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), activator protein 1 (AP-1) family and progesterone receptors (PRs). This review also considers the more recently described exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC) that may oppose the pro-quiescent effects of PKA, as well as explores findings from other cell types that have the potential to be of novel relevance to cAMP action on TF function in the myometrium.
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Vyas V, Guerra DD, Bok R, Powell T, Jansson T, Hurt KJ. Adiponectin links maternal metabolism to uterine contractility. FASEB J 2019; 33:14588-14601. [PMID: 31665924 PMCID: PMC6894045 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901646r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Adiponectin is secreted by adipose tissue and promotes insulin sensitivity. Low circulating adiponectin is associated with increased risk for preterm labor, but the influence of adiponectin on uterine myometrial physiology is unknown. We hypothesized that adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) decrease myometrial contractility via AMPK to promote uterine quiescence in pregnancy. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that nonpregnant or pregnant human and mouse myometrium express AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 mRNAs. We confirmed AdipoR2 protein expression in human and mouse myometrium, with increased abundance in late mouse pregnancy. Both recombinant adiponectin and a pharmacologic AdipoR agonist, AdipoRon, potently inhibited uterine myometrial strip contractions in physiologic organ bath. The relaxation was independent of contractile stimulus (oxytocin, KCl, U46619). AdipoR agonists increased AMPK phosphorylation in pregnant mouse myometrium, and the direct AMPK activator A769662 also relaxed myometrial strips. However, the AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin (compound C) blocked AMPK phosphorylation but did not abolish relaxation with either AdipoRon or A769662. In summary, adiponectin inhibits myometrial contractility consistent with the possibility that it is a previously unrecognized link between maternal metabolism and pregnancy maintenance. We also identify a separate role for AMPK regulating myometrial contractions that may influence labor onset.-Vyas, V., Guerra, D. D., Bok, R., Powell, T., Jansson, T., Hurt, K. J. Adiponectin links maternal metabolism to uterine contractility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibhuti Vyas
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Damian D. Guerra
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Rachael Bok
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Theresa Powell
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA; and
| | - Thomas Jansson
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - K. Joseph Hurt
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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MANUCK TA, SMEESTER L, MARTIN EM, TOMLINSON MS, SMITH C, VARNER MW, FRY RC. Epigenetic Regulation of the Nitric Oxide Pathway, 17-α Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate, and Recurrent Preterm Birth. Am J Perinatol 2018; 35:721-728. [PMID: 29241278 PMCID: PMC6002888 DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1613682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We sought to evaluate nitric oxide pathway placental gene expression and the epigenome (CpG methylation) among women receiving 17-α hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) with and without recurrent preterm birth (PTB). STUDY DESIGN This was a case-control study. We prospectively recruited women with ≥ 1 prior singleton spontaneous PTB <34 weeks receiving 17-OHPC. DNA and RNA were isolated from placentas. RNA abundance (gene expression) and the methylome were analyzed for 84 genes in nitric oxide pathways. Women with recurrent PTB <34 weeks (cases) were compared with those delivering at term (controls). Statistical analysis included multivariable models with Bonferroni's corrected p-values. RESULTS In this study, 17 women met inclusion criteria; 7 preterm cases (delivered at 22.6 ± 2.9 weeks) and 10 term controls (delivered at 38.5 ± 0.8 weeks). Groups had similar PTB history, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic risk factors for PTB. Twenty-seven nitric oxide genes displayed differential expression (p < 0.05 and q < 0.10) when comparing placentas from preterm cases and term controls; all were downregulated in preterm cases. Eight hundred sixty corresponding CpG sites were differentially methylated between the preterm cases and term controls (Bonferroni's p-value <0.05). CONCLUSION CpG methylation and gene expression patterns in nitric oxide pathway genes differ among placentas from recurrent PTB compared with term birth following 17-OHPC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy A. MANUCK
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Lisa SMEESTER
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Elizabeth M. MARTIN
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Martha S. TOMLINSON
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Christina SMITH
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Michael W. VARNER
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT,Intermountain Healthcare Women and Newborns Clinical Program, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Rebecca C. FRY
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
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S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase Underlies the Dysfunctional Relaxation to Nitric Oxide in Preterm Labor. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5614. [PMID: 29618799 PMCID: PMC5884813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23371-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tocolytics show limited efficacy to prevent preterm delivery. In uterine smooth muscle cGMP accumulation following addition of nitric oxide (NO) has little effect on relaxation suggesting a role for protein S-nitrosation. In human myometrial tissues from women in labor at term (TL), or spontaneously in labor preterm (sPTL), direct stimulation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) fails to relax myometrium, while the same treatment relaxes vascular smooth muscle completely. Unlike term myometrium, effects of NO are not only blunted in sPTL, but global protein S-nitrosation is also diminished, suggesting a dysfunctional response to NO-mediated protein S-nitrosation. Examination of the enzymatic regulator of endogenous S-nitrosoglutathione availability, S-nitrosoglutathione reductase, reveals increased expression of the reductase in preterm myometrium associated with decreased total protein S-nitrosation. Blockade of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase relaxes sPTL tissue. Addition of NO donor to the actin motility assay attenuates force. Failure of sGC activation to mediate relaxation in sPTL tissues, together with the ability of NO to relax TL, but not sPTL myometrium, suggests a unique pathway for NO-mediated relaxation in myometrium. Our results suggest that examining the action of S-nitrosation on critical contraction associated proteins central to the regulation of uterine smooth muscle contraction can reveal new tocolytic targets.
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Barnett SD, Buxton ILO. The role of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) in human disease and therapy. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 52:340-354. [PMID: 28393572 PMCID: PMC5597050 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2017.1304353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR), or ADH5, is an enzyme in the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) family. It is unique when compared to other ADH enzymes in that primary short-chain alcohols are not its principle substrate. GSNOR metabolizes S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), S-hydroxymethylglutathione (the spontaneous adduct of formaldehyde and glutathione), and some alcohols. GSNOR modulates reactive nitric oxide (•NO) availability in the cell by catalyzing the breakdown of GSNO, and indirectly regulates S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs) through GSNO-mediated protein S-nitrosation. The dysregulation of GSNOR can significantly alter cellular homeostasis, leading to disease. GSNOR plays an important regulatory role in smooth muscle relaxation, immune function, inflammation, neuronal development and cancer progression, among many other processes. In recent years, the therapeutic inhibition of GSNOR has been investigated to treat asthma, cystic fibrosis and interstitial lung disease (ILD). The direct action of •NO on cellular pathways, as well as the important regulatory role of protein S-nitrosation, is closely tied to GSNOR regulation and defines this enzyme as an important therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Barnett
- a Department of Pharmacology , University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine , Reno , NV , USA
| | - Iain L O Buxton
- a Department of Pharmacology , University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine , Reno , NV , USA
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Rozenfeld J, Tal O, Kladnitsky O, Adler L, Efrati E, Carrithers SL, Alper SL, Zelikovic I. Pendrin, a novel transcriptional target of the uroguanylin system. Cell Physiol Biochem 2013; 32:221-37. [PMID: 24429828 DOI: 10.1159/000356641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Guanylin (GN) and uroguanylin (UGN) are low-molecular-weight peptide hormones produced mainly in the intestinal mucosa in response to oral salt load. GN and UGN (guanylin peptides) induce secretion of electrolytes and water in both intestine and kidney. Thought to act as "intestinal natriuretic factors", GN and UGN modulate renal salt secretion by both endocrine mechanisms (linking the digestive system and kidney) and paracrine/autocrine (intrarenal) mechanisms. The cellular function of GN and UGN in intestine and proximal tubule is mediated by guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C)-, cGMP-, and G protein-dependent pathways, whereas, in principal cells of the cortical collecting duct (CCD), these peptide hormones act via GC-C-independent signaling through phospholipase A2 (PLA2). The Cl(-)/HCO(-)3 exchanger pendrin (SLC26A4), encoded by the PDS gene, is expressed in non-α intercalated cells of the CCD. Pendrin is essential for CCD bicarbonate secretion and is also involved in NaCl balance and blood pressure regulation. Our recent studies have provided evidence that pendrin-mediated anion exchange in the CCD is regulated at the transcriptional level by UGN. UGN exerts an inhibitory effect on the pendrin gene promoter likely via heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) action at a defined heat shock element (HSE) site. Recent studies have unraveled novel roles for guanylin peptides in several organ systems including involvement in appetite regulation, olfactory function, cell proliferation and differentiation, inflammation, and reproductive function. Both the guanylin system and pendrin have also been implicated in airway function. Future molecular research into the receptors and signal transduction pathways involved in the action of guanylin peptides and the pendrin anion exchanger in the kidney and other organs, and into the links between them, may facilitate discovery of new therapies for hypertension, heart failure, hepatic failure and other fluid retention syndromes, as well as for diverse diseases such as obesity, asthma, and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Rozenfeld
- Laboratory of Developmental Nephrology, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
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Ulrich C, Quilici DR, Schlauch KA, Buxton ILO. The human uterine smooth muscle S-nitrosoproteome fingerprint in pregnancy, labor, and preterm labor. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2013; 305:C803-16. [PMID: 23948706 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00198.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms involved in uterine quiescence during gestation and those responsible for induction of labor at term are incompletely known. More than 10% of babies born worldwide are premature and 1,000,000 die annually. Preterm labor results in preterm delivery in 50% of cases in the United States explaining 75% of fetal morbidity and mortality. There is no Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment to prevent preterm delivery. Nitric oxide-mediated relaxation of human uterine smooth muscle is independent of global elevation of cGMP following activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase. S-nitrosation is a likely mechanism to explain cGMP-independent relaxation to nitric oxide and may reveal S-nitrosated proteins as new therapeutic targets for the treatment of preterm labor. Employing S-nitrosoglutathione as an nitric oxide donor, we identified 110 proteins that are S-nitrosated in 1 or more states of human pregnancy. Using area under the curve of extracted ion chromatograms as well as normalized spectral counts to quantify relative expression levels for 62 of these proteins, we show that 26 proteins demonstrate statistically significant S-nitrosation differences in myometrium from spontaneously laboring preterm patients compared with nonlaboring patients. We identified proteins that were up-S-nitrosated as well as proteins that were down-S-nitrosated in preterm laboring tissues. Identification and relative quantification of the S-nitrosoproteome provide a fingerprint of proteins that can form the basis of hypothesis-directed efforts to understand the regulation of uterine contraction-relaxation and the development of new treatment for preterm labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Ulrich
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, Nevada; and
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Butler T, Paul J, Europe-Finner N, Smith R, Chan EC. Role of serine-threonine phosphoprotein phosphatases in smooth muscle contractility. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2013; 304:C485-504. [PMID: 23325405 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00161.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The degree of phosphorylation of myosin light chain 20 (MLC20) is a major determinant of force generation in smooth muscle. Myosin phosphatases (MPs) contain protein phosphatase (PP) 1 as catalytic subunits and are the major enzymes that dephosphorylate MLC20. MP regulatory targeting subunit 1 (MYPT1), the main regulatory subunit of MP in all smooth muscles, is a key convergence point of contractile and relaxatory pathways. Combinations of regulatory mechanisms, including isoform splicing, multiple phosphorylation sites, and scaffolding proteins, modulate MYPT1 activity with tissue and agonist specificities to affect contraction and relaxation. Other members of the PP1 family that do not target myosin, as well as PP2A and PP2B, dephosphorylate a range of proteins that affect smooth muscle contraction. This review discusses the role of phosphatases in smooth muscle contractility with a focus on MYPT1 in uterine smooth muscle. Myometrium shares characteristics of vascular and other visceral smooth muscles yet, during healthy pregnancy, undergoes hypertrophy, hyperplasia, quiescence, and labor as physiological processes. Myometrium presents an accessible model for the study of normal and pathological smooth muscle function, and a better understanding of myometrial physiology may allow the development of novel therapeutics for the many disorders of myometrial physiology from preterm labor to dysmenorrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trent Butler
- Mothers and Babies Research Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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A role of stretch-activated potassium currents in the regulation of uterine smooth muscle contraction. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2011; 32:758-64. [PMID: 21642947 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2011.62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rates of premature birth are alarming and threaten societies and healthcare systems worldwide. Premature labor results in premature birth in over 50% of cases. Preterm birth accounts for three-quarters of infant morbidity and mortality. Children that survive birth before 34 weeks gestation often face life-long disability. Current treatments for preterm labor are wanting. No treatment has been found to be generally effective and none are systematically evaluated beyond 48 h. New approaches to the treatment of preterm labor are desperately needed. Recent studies from our laboratory suggest that the uterine muscle is a unique compartment with regulation of uterine relaxation unlike that of other smooth muscles. Here we discuss recent evidence that the mechanically activated 2-pore potassium channel, TREK-1, may contribute to contraction-relaxation signaling in uterine smooth muscle and that TREK-1 gene variants associated with human labor and preterm labor may lead to a better understanding of preterm labor and its possible prevention.
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Basu N, Visweswariah SS. Defying the stereotype: non-canonical roles of the Peptide hormones guanylin and uroguanylin. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2011; 2:14. [PMID: 22654795 PMCID: PMC3356075 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2011.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2011] [Accepted: 05/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The peptide hormones uroguanylin and guanylin have been traditionally thought to be mediators of fluid-ion homeostasis in the vertebrate intestine. They serve as ligands for receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GC-C), and both receptor and ligands are expressed predominantly in the intestine. Ligand binding to GC-C results in increased cyclic GMP production in the cell which governs downstream signaling. In the last decade, a significant amount of research has unraveled novel functions for this class of peptide hormones, in addition to their action as intestinal secretagogues. An additional receptor for uroguanylin, receptor guanylyl cyclase D, has also been identified. Thus, unconventional roles of these peptides in regulating renal filtration, olfaction, reproduction, and cell proliferation have begun to be elucidated in detail. These varied effects suggest that these peptide hormones act in an autocrine, paracrine as well as endocrine manner to regulate diverse cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirmalya Basu
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of ScienceBangalore, India
| | - Sandhya Srikant Visweswariah
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of ScienceBangalore, India
- *Correspondence: Sandhya Srikant Visweswariah, Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India. e-mail:
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