title: Role of urocortin in pregnancy: An update and future perspectives.
abstract: The activities of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and related peptides are mediated a number of receptors with seven transmembrane domains that are coupled to the Gs and Gq proteins. These receptors are known as CRF-Rs. In vitro studies have evidenced that urocortin (UCN) and CRF provoke an increase in the contractility of the uterus which is induced by endometrial prostaglandin F2a. Furthermore, through trophoblasts, it stimulates the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and prostaglandin PGE2 and has a vasodilatory effect on the placenta. While it is well known that the placenta produces considerable quantities of CRF, several studies have, however, excluded that the placenta can generate significant quantities of UCN. In the short term, the human fetal adrenal gland produces more cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. The gestational tissues express UCN3 and UCN2 mRNA in cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cells, while UCN2 is only to be found in the maternal and fetal vessels and amniotic cells. Nevertheless, gestational tissues express UCN2 and UCN3 differentially and do not stimulate placental ACTH secretion. In term pregnancies, maternal plasma levels of CRF and UCN are lower than at the beginning of pregnancy and are correlated to labor onset. Conversely, they do not decrease in post-term pregnancies. This evidence would seem to indicate that the fine-regulated expression of these neuropeptides is important in determining the duration of human gestation. In this scenario, low concentrations of UCN in the amniotic fluid at mid-term may be considered a sign of predisposition to preterm birth.
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore Giovanni
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Simone
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Agnese Maria Chiara
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rapisarda
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Scarale
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cignini
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Butticè
authors.affiliation: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale, Antonio Simone Laganà, Francesco Corrado, Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rossetti
keywords: Corticotropin-releasing factor; Gynecology; Inflammation; Obstetrics; Urocortin