HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by PORTER, D. G. Articles by BRADSHAW, J. M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by PORTER, D. G. Articles by BRADSHAW, J. M. C.

Porcine relaxin (250 guinea-pig units/mg) infused intravenously into anaesthetized rats at 20 µg/h reversibly abolished spontaneous intra-uterine pressure cycles yet left the myometrium responsive to oxytocin in doses of 4–8 mu. The inhibition was found to be primarily of the frequency, rather than of the amplitude, of pressure cycles. Relaxin (5 or 10 µg) was capable of completely suppressing uterine activity driven by prostaglandin F₂ infusion in oestrogen-treated ovariectomized rats. Whereas the β-adrenergic blocker, propranolol, had no effect on relaxin-induced inhibition, phentolamine, an -blocker, significantly delayed the relaxin effect. It is unlikely, however, that relaxin operates through an -inhibitory receptor. The results show that relaxin acts primarily as a frequency modulator and is capable of antagonizing an exogenous myometrial stimulant.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. R.G. Challis, S. G. Matthews, W. Gibb, and S. J. Lye Endocrine and Paracrine Regulation of Birth at Term and Preterm Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2000; 21(5): 514 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text]