AIMS Human relaxin-2 influences renal and cardiovascular functions. We investigated its effects on experimental endothelial dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS Acetylcholine-mediated vasodilation of rat aortic rings, impaired by 48 h tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) treatment, was dose-dependently improved by relaxin co-incubation, an effect sensitive to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhi...

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com 4, 5 and 6) [1-3]. Relaxin is a pleiotropic hormone with effects at different physiological levels, especially in reproduction. In 1926, Frederick Hisaw discovered its role in the expansion of the pubic ligament to adapt birth canal and facilitate parturition in female [2,4]. In terms of reproduction, relaxin-1 and relaxin-2 expression is detected i...

Hypertension and aging are associated with large artery structural remodeling and stiffening, which are known to increase cardiovascular risk. Relaxin is a peptide hormone with potent antifibrotic action in multiple organs. Although relaxin is able to reduce peripheral vascular resistance and improve arterial compliance in rats, it remains unclear whether the improvement in compliance is indire...

Previous immunological studies have indicated that the molecular structure of hamster relaxin is quite different from that of porcine relaxin. In the present study, hamster relaxin was purified from placentas and characterized in order to investigate its biochemical properties. Placentas from Days 14 and 15 of gestation were homogenized in 0.26 N HCl-62.5% acetone containing protease inhibitors...

Renal fibrosis is a common feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD). To inhibit the CKD process, it is important to prevent renal fibrosis, though CKD remains incurable. Renal fibrosis can be inhibited by relaxin in several experimental models, but the mechanism of relaxin for antifibrotic potential is still not clear. And here we have studied the role of relaxin in macrophage polarization and r...

Fibronectin, a large adhesive glycoprotein, is a prominent constituent of the extracellular matrix. Abnormalities in fibronectin homeostasis occur in numerous disease states, ranging from primary fibrosing conditions to neoplastic transformation. We demonstrate that fibronectin is a target protein substrate for ubiquitin-dependent degradation. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments and confocal micr...

Relaxin, a polypeptide hormone of the insulin superfamily, is involved in the promotion of extracellular matrix remodeling. Emerging evidence supports a potential therapeutic role of relaxin in fibrotic diseases including liver. Relaxin has been shown to limit collagen production and promote collagen degradation. It not only prevents fibrogenesis, but also reduces established scarring. Together...

and Implications Antibody against porcine relaxin (antipRLX540; 1:950,000) was produced in sheep and used to determine the effect on relaxin and progesterone secretion, and on parturition in late-pregnant pigs. In group 1, Yorkshire gilts with normal estrous cycles were bred on the second observed estrus and fitted with an indwelling jugular cannula and an intraperitoneal cannula on day 100 of ...

Multiple binding sites revealed by interaction of relaxin family peptides with native and chimeric relaxin family peptide receptors 1 and 2 (LGR7 & LGR8).

Based on sequence homology to insulin and relaxin, we have isolated two novel genes of the insulin superfamily from mouse tissues. Because these proteins show a high similarity to relaxin and relaxin-like factor (RLF or Ley I-L), they were named as RIF1 (relaxin/insulin-like factor 1) and RIF2 (relaxin/insulin-like factor 2). After RT-PCR, full-length cDNAs of RIF1 and RIF2 were obtained from m...