title: Hormonal regulation myometrial adrenergic responses: the receptor and beyond.
abstract: The contractile response of the uterus is modified by sex steroids. In rabbit uterus, oestrogen promotes alpha-adrenergically-mediated contraction, whilst progesterone treatment results in beta-adrenergic relaxation. Examination of the mechanisms responsible for these changing adrenergic responses with sex steroids reveals multiple sites of regulation. Oestrogen increases alpha 1-receptor concentration and the linkage of the receptor to phospholipase C. In addition to this direct effect to promote contraction, oestrogen also uncouples the beta-receptor from adenylate cyclase. Progesterone, conversely, promotes relaxation through beta-receptors by uncoupling alpha 2-receptors from inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Thus sex steroids can regulate specific agonist responses at and beyond the receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Riemer
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Bottari
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goldfien
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009215:Myometrium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000378:metabolism; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D011374:Progesterone; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases