Inflammatory pathways in female reproductive health and disease.
Inflammation involves alterations to vascular and immune cell function. It is well recognised that many physiological reproductive events such as ovulation, menstruation, implantation and onset of labour display hallmark signs of inflammation. These are orchestrated by specific molecular pathways involving a host of growth factors, cytokines, chemokines and lipid mediators. Resumption of normal reproductive function involves prompt and proper resolution of these inflammatory pathways. Recent literature confirms that resolution of inflammatory pathways involves specific biochemical events that are activated to re-establish homeostasis in the affected tissue. Moreover, initiation and maintenance of inflammatory pathways are the key components of many pathologies of the reproductive tract and elsewhere in the body. The onset of reproductive disorders or disease may be the result of exacerbated activation and maintenance of inflammatory pathways or their dysregulated resolution. This review will address the role of inflammatory events in normal reproductive function and its pathologies.
MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK. h.jabbour@hrsu.mrc.ac.uk
Henry N
HN
Jabbour
Kurt J
KJ
Sales
Rob D
RD
Catalano
Jane E
JE
Norman
D000818:Animals; D004194:Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D060728:Reproductive Health; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D018836:Inflammation Mediators