title: Preterm labour: a pharmacological challenge.
abstract: Preterm labour is a major cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity, but its prevention is difficult because most of the available drugs lack uterine selectivity and have potentially serious side-effects for the mother or the foetus. In this article, Andrés López Bernal and colleagues discuss new evidence that shows pregnancy is associated with changes in G protein signalling and second messenger formation in human myometrium. During gestation uterine relaxation is favoured by a pronounced increase in G alpha s levels, thereby facilitating the effect of agonists that increase cAMP formation. The change in G alpha s is reversed in spontaneous labour enabling the uterus to become responsive to contractile agents. Although it is not established that these changes in G protein function are causally related to the spontaneous onset of labour, nevertheless they provide a novel viewpoint towards increased understanding of the cellular mechanisms of uterine contractility, which may result in better drugs for the management of preterm labour.
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López Bernal
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Europe-Finner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phaneuf
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Watson
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins