title: Effects of corticotrophin releasing hormone on contractile activity of myometrium from pregnant women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether corticotrophin releasing hormone plays a role in the regulation of tone in term nonlabouring human myometrium.
  
  
  METHODS
  A teaching hospital research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven women undergoing elective nonlabour caesarean section under regional anaesthesia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human corticotrophin releasing hormone (1, 10, 100 nmol/L) was added to strips of term, nonlabouring myometrium mounted in an organ bath, and the effect on spontaneous, oxytocin (1 nmol/L) or prostaglandin F2alpha (100 nmol/L) stimulated contractions determined. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content of the tissue was also determined by enzyme immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Corticotrophin releasing hormone did not affect myometrial tension development in any of the experimental protocols. cAMP increased transiently after addition of corticotrophin releasing hormone (166.7 +/- 12.7% at 1 minute) but this was not reflected by any change in tension.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that despite high maternal plasma concentrations of corticotrophin releasing hormone in pregnancy at term, this peptide is unlikely to play a direct role in the control of myometrial contractility in nonlabouring myometrium.
authors.affiliation: Fetal Health Research Group, United Medical and Dental Schools, London, UK.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Simpkin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kermani
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Campa
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Tribe
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Linton
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poston
mesh_terms: D002585:Cesarean Section; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009215:Myometrium / Q000187:drug effects*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010121:Oxytocin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone