title: Adaptation of uterine artery thick- and thin-filament regulatory pathways to pregnancy.
abstract: Little is known about the adaptation of uterine artery smooth muscle contractile mechanisms to pregnancy. The present study tested the hypothesis that pregnancy differentially regulates thick- and thin-filament regulatory pathways in uterine arteries. Isometric tension, intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration, and phosphorylation of 20-kDa myosin light chain (MLC(20)) were measured simultaneously in uterine arteries isolated from nonpregnant and near-term (140 days gestation) pregnant sheep. Phenylephrine-mediated intracellular free Ca(2+) concentration, MLC(20) phosphorylation, and contraction tension were significantly increased in uterine arteries of pregnant compared with nonpregnant animals. In contrast, phenylephrine-mediated Ca(2+) sensitivity of MLC(20) phosphorylation was decreased in the uterine arteries of pregnant sheep. Simultaneous measurement of phenylephrine-stimulated tension and MLC(20) phosphorylation in the same tissue indicated a decrease in MLC(20) phosphorylation-independent contractions in the uterine arteries of pregnant sheep. In addition, activation of PKC produced significantly lower sustained contractions in uterine arteries of pregnant compared with nonpregnant animals in the absence of changes in MLC(20) phosphorylation levels in either vessels. In uterine arteries of nonpregnant sheep, the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitor PD-098059 significantly increased phenylephrine-mediated, MLC(20) phosphorylation-independent contractions. The results suggest that in uterine arteries, pregnancy upregulates alpha(1)-adrenoceptor-mediated Ca(2+) mobilization and MLC(20) phosphorylation. In contrast, pregnancy downregulates the Ca(2+) sensitivity of myofilaments, which is mediated by both thick- and thin-filament pathways.
authors.affiliation: Center for Perinatal Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA.
authors.forename: DaLiao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Lubo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015240:Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D015240:Phorbol 12,13-Dibutyrate; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; D002118:Calcium