title: Uterine mast cells: a new hypothesis to understand how we are born.
abstract: Birth is the result of complex, well-defined, and coordinated events, that are tightly regulated by endocrine, nervous, and immune responses, and take place primarily in the female reproductive tract. Various mechanisms and mediators involved in pregnancy, labor, and delivery, are highly conserved among different mammalian species and mast cells emerge as potential and crucial participants in these processes, as it is discussed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile. mrudolph@udec.cl
authors.forename: M Isolde
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rudolph
authors.forename: I Gina
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.forename: Alicia B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Penissi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D036801:Parturition / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D010121:Oxytocin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone