Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy
Normal pregnancy is associated with dramatic increases in uterine blood flow to facilitate the bidirectional maternal–fetal exchanges of respiratory gases and to provide sole nutrient support for fetal growth and survival. The mechanism(s) underlying pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation remain...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/12/4349 |
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| author | Jin Bai Qian-Rong Qi Yan Li Robert Day Josh Makhoul Ronald R. Magness Dong-bao Chen |
| author_facet | Jin Bai Qian-Rong Qi Yan Li Robert Day Josh Makhoul Ronald R. Magness Dong-bao Chen |
| author_sort | Jin Bai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Normal pregnancy is associated with dramatic increases in uterine blood flow to facilitate the bidirectional maternal–fetal exchanges of respiratory gases and to provide sole nutrient support for fetal growth and survival. The mechanism(s) underlying pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation remain incompletely understood, but this is associated with elevated estrogens, which stimulate specific estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent vasodilator production in the uterine artery (UA). The classical ERs (ERα and ERβ) and the plasma-bound G protein-coupled ER (GPR30/GPER) are expressed in UA endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, mediating the vasodilatory effects of estrogens through genomic and/or nongenomic pathways that are likely epigenetically modified. The activation of these three ERs by estrogens enhances the endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO), which has been shown to play a key role in uterine vasodilation during pregnancy. However, the local blockade of NO biosynthesis only partially attenuates estrogen-induced and pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation, suggesting that mechanisms other than NO exist to mediate uterine vasodilation. In this review, we summarize the literature on the role of NO in ER-mediated mechanisms controlling estrogen-induced and pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation and our recent work on a “new” UA vasodilator hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) that has dramatically changed our view of how estrogens regulate uterine vasodilation in pregnancy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:03:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1c894ecfac846a4b43b03e7e1a1d065 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:03:41Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1c894ecfac846a4b43b03e7e1a1d0652023-11-20T04:18:06ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1661-65961422-00672020-06-012112434910.3390/ijms21124349Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in PregnancyJin Bai0Qian-Rong Qi1Yan Li2Robert Day3Josh Makhoul4Ronald R. Magness5Dong-bao Chen6Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USADepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USANormal pregnancy is associated with dramatic increases in uterine blood flow to facilitate the bidirectional maternal–fetal exchanges of respiratory gases and to provide sole nutrient support for fetal growth and survival. The mechanism(s) underlying pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation remain incompletely understood, but this is associated with elevated estrogens, which stimulate specific estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent vasodilator production in the uterine artery (UA). The classical ERs (ERα and ERβ) and the plasma-bound G protein-coupled ER (GPR30/GPER) are expressed in UA endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, mediating the vasodilatory effects of estrogens through genomic and/or nongenomic pathways that are likely epigenetically modified. The activation of these three ERs by estrogens enhances the endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO), which has been shown to play a key role in uterine vasodilation during pregnancy. However, the local blockade of NO biosynthesis only partially attenuates estrogen-induced and pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation, suggesting that mechanisms other than NO exist to mediate uterine vasodilation. In this review, we summarize the literature on the role of NO in ER-mediated mechanisms controlling estrogen-induced and pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation and our recent work on a “new” UA vasodilator hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S) that has dramatically changed our view of how estrogens regulate uterine vasodilation in pregnancy.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/12/4349estrogen receptorsestrogensnitric oxidehydrogen sulfidevasodilatationuterine artery |
| spellingShingle | Jin Bai Qian-Rong Qi Yan Li Robert Day Josh Makhoul Ronald R. Magness Dong-bao Chen Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy International Journal of Molecular Sciences estrogen receptors estrogens nitric oxide hydrogen sulfide vasodilatation uterine artery |
| title | Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy |
| title_full | Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy |
| title_fullStr | Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy |
| title_short | Estrogen Receptors and Estrogen-Induced Uterine Vasodilation in Pregnancy |
| title_sort | estrogen receptors and estrogen induced uterine vasodilation in pregnancy |
| topic | estrogen receptors estrogens nitric oxide hydrogen sulfide vasodilatation uterine artery |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/12/4349 |
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