Collagen and elastic fiber remodeling in the pregnant mouse myometrium†.

Biol Reprod

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Larner College of Medicine University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.

Published: September 2022

AI Article Synopsis

  • * Researchers analyzed gene expression and protein levels related to collagen and elastic fibers in myometrial tissues from non-pregnant and pregnant mice, finding that these components are differentially expressed throughout pregnancy.
  • * The findings indicate that estrogen and progesterone regulate the production of collagen and elastin during pregnancy, highlighting the importance of extracellular matrix remodeling for myometrial function in labor.

Article Abstract

The myometrium undergoes progressive tissue remodeling from early to late pregnancy to support fetal growth and transitions to the contractile phase to deliver a baby at term. Much of our effort has been focused on understanding the functional role of myometrial smooth muscle cells, but the role of extracellular matrix is not clear. This study was aimed to demonstrate the expression profile of sub-sets of genes involved in the synthesis, processing, and assembly of collagen and elastic fibers, their structural remodeling during pregnancy, and hormonal regulation. Myometrial tissues were isolated from non-pregnant and pregnant mice to analyze gene expression and protein levels of components of collagen and elastic fibers. Second harmonic generation imaging was used to examine the morphology of collagen and elastic fibers. Gene and protein expressions of collagen and elastin were induced very early in pregnancy. Further, the gene expressions of some of the factors involved in the synthesis, processing, and assembly of collagen and elastic fibers were differentially expressed in the pregnant mouse myometrium. Our imaging analysis demonstrated that the collagen and elastic fibers undergo structural reorganization from early to late pregnancy. Collagen and elastin were differentially induced in response to estrogen and progesterone in the myometrium of ovariectomized mice. Collagen was induced by both estrogen and progesterone. By contrast, estrogen induced elastin, but progesterone suppressed its expression. The current study suggests progressive extracellular matrix remodeling and its potential role in the myometrial tissue mechanical function during pregnancy and parturition.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9767674PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biolre/ioac102DOI Listing

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