title: Adrenomedullin relaxes rat uterine artery: mechanisms and influence of pregnancy and estradiol.
abstract: Uterine arteries play a major role in regulating uteroplacental blood flow. Failure to maintain blood flow to the uteroplacental compartment during pregnancy often results in intrauterine growth retardation. Immunohistochemical staining of adrenomedullin (AM), an endogenous vasoactive peptide, in uterine artery was intense in pregnant compared to nonpregnant rats, but it is not known whether AM directly relaxes uterine artery or not. In this study, we elucidated the mechanisms of uterine artery relaxation by AM and its regulation by pregnancy and female sex steroids. AM was able to relax uterine artery, and this relaxation was influenced positively by pregnancy and estradiol as evidenced by the increased pD(2) and E(max) values of AM. Both pregnancy and estradiol treatment to ovariectomized rats amplified RAMP(3) expression in uterine arteries while progesterone had no effect. AM-induced uterine artery relaxation is predominantly endothelium-dependent. The AM receptor antagonist CGRP(8-37) is more potent than AM(22-52) in inhibiting the AM relaxation, indicating the involvement of AM(2) receptor subtype. Moreover, AM uses the classical nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway along with K(Ca) channels to mediate the vasodilatory effect in uterine artery. In conclusion, sensitivity of uterine artery to AM-induced relaxation is increased with pregnancy or estradiol treatment by increasing RAMP(3) expression, suggesting an important role for AM in regulating the uterine hemodynamics, probably maintaining uterine blood flow during pregnancy and in pre- and postmenopausal cardiovascular adaptation differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284, USA.
authors.forename: Gracious R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Uma
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yallampalli
authors.forename: Pandu R R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gangula
authors.forename: Luckey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sathishkumar
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Madhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: Chandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yallampalli
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005905:Glyburide / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010052:Ovariectomy; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D058261:Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D058261:Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C058636:calcitonin gene-related peptide (8-37); D053607:Adrenomedullin; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D005905:Glyburide