| Summary: | We investigated the gestational expression of androgen receptor (AR) and defined its
regulation and that of its co-repressors, PSF and p54nrb, by steroid hormones and
myometrial stretch in vivo in pregnant and non-pregnant rats. Our data demonstrate
that, 1) myometrial AR expression decreases prior to term; 2) AR expression is
up-regulated by MPA treatment and down-regulated by mechanical stretch; (3)
myometrial PSF protein expression is down-regulated by estrogen signaling and by
mechanical stretch, and up-regulated by androgen signaling; (4) while myometrial PSF
mRNA expression is also down-regulated by stretch, the regulation by estrogen and P4
on PSF mRNA appear to be opposite to the effects on PSF protein. We conclude that
the decreased androgen signaling in late pregnancy (as a result of decreased AR and
PSF expression mediated by hormonal and mechanical signals) may contribute to the
mechanisms leading to labor initiation.
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