Oxytocin Gene Expression in Rat Uterus

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 256; no. 5063; pp. 1553 - 1555
• Main Authors: Lefebvre, Diana L., Giaid, Adel, Bennett, Hugh, Larivière, Richard, Zingg, Hans H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 12.06.1992; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antiserum; Biological and medical sciences; Birth; Care and treatment; Endocrine aspects; Exons; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression; Genetic aspects; Hormones; Hypothalamus; Hypothalamus - physiology; Labor (Obstetrics); Lactation; Messenger RNA; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Oxytocin; Oxytocin - genetics; Parturition; Physiological aspects; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pregnancy; Premature labor; Rats; Reproductive system; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Messenger - genetics; Rodents; Uterus; Uterus - physiology; Pregnancy; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Gene; Oxytocin; Rat; Uterus; Neurohypophyseal hormone; Peptide hormone; Rodentia; Gene expression; Neuropeptide
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1598587

The neurohypophyseal hormone oxytocin (OT) is the most potent uterotonic agent known and is used to induce labor. Yet, endogenous circulating OT appears not to participate in the induction of labor. As shown here, the finding of OT messenger RNA and peptide in the uterus suggests a solution for this paradox. During gestation, rat uterus OT messenger RNA increased more than 150-fold and, at term, exceeded hypothalamic OT messenger RNA by 70-fold. Thus, during parturition, OT may act primarily as a local mediator and not as a circulating hormone.