title: Expression of endothelin receptors in human myometrium during pregnancy and in uterine leiomyomas.
abstract: The distribution of mRNAs for endothelinA and B (ET(A) and ET(B)) receptors and their binding properties was studied in human nonpregnant and pregnant term myometrium and in uterine leiomyomas. ET(A)- and ET(B)-receptors functionally coupled to phospholipase C (PLC) coexisted in myometrial tissues, but only the functional ET(A)-receptor subtype was detected in leiomyomas. ET(A)-receptor mRNA and three other spliced variants were distributed in all tissue studied. We reported an increase in the proportion of ET(A)-receptors coupled to PLC in term pregnant myometrium when compared to nonpregnant tissue. These results suggest that upregulation of the myometrial ET(A)-receptors may account for or contribute to the control of normal development and growth of human myometrium during pregnancy. They also support a pathological role for the endothelin-1 (ET-1)/ET(A)-receptor system in leiomyoma development.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health and Medical Research INSERM U.361, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Honoré
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vacher-Lavenu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapron
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breuiller-Fouché
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferré
mesh_terms: D001381:Azepines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D009215:Myometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin / Q000235:genetics*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001381:Azepines; D019332:Endothelin-1; D007211:Indoles; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010880:Piperidines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D044022:Receptor, Endothelin A; D044023:Receptor, Endothelin B; D017466:Receptors, Endothelin; C079574:FR 139317; C086539:BQ 788