TY - JOUR
T1 - Regulation of the switch from myométrial contractures to contractions in late pregnancy
T2 - Studies in the pregnant sheep and monkey
AU - Giussani, Dino A.
AU - Wu, Wen
AU - Winter, James A.
AU - Nibasheka, Mark Baguma
AU - Honnebier, O. M.
AU - McDonald, T. J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We thank Karen Moore for her help with this manuscript. This work was supported by NIH grants HD 213.50 and HD 26203.
PY - 1995
Y1 - 1995
N2 - Myométrial contractility occurs throughout pregnancy and characteristic patterns of myométrial activity exist according to the endocrine status and the relationship to parturition. These characteristic patterns differ between species, yet certain common features can be observed. Throughout pregnancy, myométrial activity is of the contractures type, long-lasting, low-amplitude epochs of activity switching to contraction-type activity at term. This switch from contractures to contractions tends to occur at night and is related to alteration in maternal plasma oestrogen concentrations, and maternal oxytocin function. Studies in several animal species support the hypothesis that maternal oestrogen prepares the myometrium for a periodic signal that causes the switch from contractures to contractions. Several lines of evidence implicate oxytocin in the switch. These studies show that the detailed preparation for parturition takes longer than previously considered and is brought about by a carefully regulated sequence of events in which oestrogen production by the placenta plays a central role.
AB - Myométrial contractility occurs throughout pregnancy and characteristic patterns of myométrial activity exist according to the endocrine status and the relationship to parturition. These characteristic patterns differ between species, yet certain common features can be observed. Throughout pregnancy, myométrial activity is of the contractures type, long-lasting, low-amplitude epochs of activity switching to contraction-type activity at term. This switch from contractures to contractions tends to occur at night and is related to alteration in maternal plasma oestrogen concentrations, and maternal oxytocin function. Studies in several animal species support the hypothesis that maternal oestrogen prepares the myometrium for a periodic signal that causes the switch from contractures to contractions. Several lines of evidence implicate oxytocin in the switch. These studies show that the detailed preparation for parturition takes longer than previously considered and is brought about by a carefully regulated sequence of events in which oestrogen production by the placenta plays a central role.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029447429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029447429&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/RD9950595
DO - 10.1071/RD9950595
M3 - Article
C2 - 8606972
AN - SCOPUS:0029447429
VL - 7
SP - 595
EP - 602
JO - Australian journal of scientific research. Ser. B: Biological sciences
JF - Australian journal of scientific research. Ser. B: Biological sciences
SN - 1031-3613
IS - 3
ER -