American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
In vivo effects of corticotropin-releasing factor in pregnant rats☆,☆☆,★
Section snippets
Animals
Timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained from Charles River Laboratories. They were housed separately in temperature and humidity controlled quarters with constant light/dark cycles of 12 hours/12 hours and provided with food and water ad libitum. The pregnant rats used in these studies have a gestational period of 22 days, day 1 being the day the sperm plug was observed. The animals were killed by carbon dioxide inhalation. All procedures were approved by the Animal Care and Use
Results
Fig. 1 shows the effect of chronic infusion of CRF and α-helical CRF 9-41 (CRF receptor antagonist) on the systolic blood pressure of pregnant rats.
Comment
CRF is a potent vasorelaxant that is produced in very high amounts by the placenta during pregnancy in humans, especially during the final weeks. This suggests a role for CRF in gestational regulation of maternal hemodynamics. In this study we have investigated the role of CRF in the maternal hemodynamics of pregnant rats. We have shown that CRF administered chronically causes hypotension, whereas inhibition of CRF receptor (with α-helical CRF 9-41) causes hypertension in pregnant rats. We have
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Cited by (19)
Placental Endocrine Function and Hormone Action
2015, Knobil and Neill's Physiology of Reproduction: Two-Volume SetNeuroendocrinology of pregnancy and parturition
2014, Handbook of Clinical NeurologyCitation Excerpt :CRH is also a potent vasoactive molecule acting on human vascular endothelium as well as smooth muscle and the feto-placental circulation (Dashwood et al., 1987), and of great physiologic importance during human pregnancy. CRH is a potent relaxant of the uterine arteries and, when administered chronically in pregnant rats, it causes a decrease in blood pressure (Jain et al., 1998). CRH-induced vasorelaxation is a specific receptor-operated, endothelium-dependent effect mediated by the nitric oxide–cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway (Clifton et al., 1995; Jain et al., 1998), but it may be also an endothelium-independent effect through a direct action on the vascular smooth muscle that is not mediated by cAMP, K+ channels, or Ca++ channels.
Placental endocrine function
2006, Knobil and Neill's Physiology of ReproductionPlacental Endocrine Function
2005, Knobil and Neill's Physiology of ReproductionExpression of receptors for corticotropin-releasing factor in the vasculature of pregnant rats
2000, Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation
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From the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecologya and Physiology,b University of Texas Medical Branch, and the Research Laboratories of Schering AG.c
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Reprint requests: R.E. Garfield, PhD, Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Rt. J-62, Galveston, TX 77555-1062.
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