In most mammals the peptide hormone relaxin is a key physiological component regulating early pregnancy and birth. However, synteny analysis shows that the gene encoding ovarian relaxin-2 is deleted in cows and sheep. While, these ruminants appear to exhibit a relaxin-like physiology, as in other mammals, until now a molecular understanding of this has been lacking. Cloning and expression analy...

OBJECTIVE Relaxin, a potent pregnancy-related hormone, has been proposed to be a major mediator of renal physiology in normal pregnancy. We wished to test relaxin levels in pregnancy and preeclampsia. METHODS We performed precise physiologic measurements of kidney function in 38 normal peripartum women and 58 women with preeclampsia. We measured serum relaxin levels prior to delivery and over...

Relaxin is essential for trophoblast development during pregnancy. Evidence shows that relaxin increases trophoblast cell migration capacity. Here, we show the effect of relaxin on protein kinase B (AKT) activation and glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta (GSK3β) inactivation as well as on the proliferation of HTR-8/SVneo cells, a model of human extravillous trophoblast (EVT). HTR-8/SVneo cells were...

Electromyographic (EMG) activity of the uterus was recorded in vivo in 4 conscious ovariectomized ewes treated with oestrogen (one injection of 100 micrograms of oestradiol benzoate). Doses of 500 micrograms of purified porcine relaxin were injected intravenously 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32 hrs after oestrogen treatment. Relaxin had an inhibitory effect on uterine activity between 16 and 32 hrs a...

BACKGROUND The effect of relaxin and spironolactone combined on myocardial fibrosis has not been reported. Thus, we investigated the effect of the combined therapy on isoprenaline-induced myocardial fibrosis and the mechanism. METHODS Rats were injected subcutaneously with isoprenaline to induce myocardial fibrosis and underwent subcutaneous injection with relaxin (2 µg·kg-1·d-1) and given a ...

Human (H2) relaxin is a two-chain peptide member of the insulin superfamily and possesses potent pleiotropic roles including regulation of connective tissue remodeling and systemic and renal vasodilation. These effects are mediated through interaction with its cognate G-protein-coupled receptor, RXFP1. H2 relaxin recently passed Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of congestive heart fa...

Although traditionally associated with reproductive processes, relaxin is emerging as an important player in renal and cardiovascular function. Much of our recently acquired understanding of relaxin in this new context has arisen from studies of maternal renal and cardiovascular adaptations to pregnancy in rats where the hormone is turning out to be an important mediator. First, we highlight th...

H2 relaxin is a pleiotropic peptide hormone with clinical potential. Here we report on the reaction and use of hexafluorobenzene as an intramolecular disulfide replacement between Cys10 and Cys15 in the A-chain of H2 relaxin. Using flow-based Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis methodology we were able to obtain high-quality H2 relaxin fragments that were previously reported as challenging to sy...

Glycodelin is a glycoprotein named for its unique carbohydrate structure. Glycodelin is produced by the secretory endometrium during the late luteal phase and returns to baseline during menses of the ensuing cycle, whereas in conceptive cycles it rapidly increases. Although progesterone and possibly estradiol are required for glycodelin production, they are not directly involved in the synthesi...

Relaxin-3 or insulin-like peptide 7 (INSL7) is the most recently discovered relaxin/insulin-like family peptide. Mature relaxin-3 consists of an A chain and a B chain held by disulphide bonds. According to structure activity relationship studies, the relaxin-3 B chain is more important in binding and activating the receptor. RXFP3 (also known as Relaxin-3 receptor 1, GPCR 135, somatostatin- and...