RELAXIN--BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES

本申请的长期目标是更好地了解 调节妊娠大鼠松弛素分泌，并确定 松弛素在妊娠大鼠和猪中的生理作用。 妊娠晚期胎仔数对松弛素分泌的影响 将通过调整妊娠早期的孕体数量来确定 并在频繁的血液采样中测定松弛素浓度 在产前期间收集。 母亲的影响 垂体对松弛素的分泌在怀孕的后半段将 通过切除垂体的妊娠大鼠（第13天）测定， 要么是一个完整的孕体，要么是一个孕体， 在第14，16，18， 20怀孕 内源性母体促黄体生成作用的影响 激素（LH）对妊娠晚期松弛素分泌的影响 通过用LH拮抗剂去糖基化的人LH受体来掩蔽LH受体， 绒毛膜促性腺激素和测定松弛素浓度 在怀孕的最后三天，外周血。 将确定松弛素对大鼠出生时的生理影响 通过观察内源性松弛素剥夺的后果。 这 将通过用大鼠抗体被动中和松弛素来完成 松弛素，以及通过去除内源性松弛素水平来降低内源性松弛素水平。 几乎所有的黄体。 松弛素对拉伸的影响 子宫颈结缔组织的性质和生化组成， 将通过比较这些特征来确定猪的妊娠 在从完整的妊娠猪和卵巢切除的猪子宫颈中， 用孕酮或孕酮加松弛素处理的怀孕猪。 的 新鲜采集的头节和 将确定子宫颈的尾部。 生化 将被表征的子宫颈的组成部分是 糖胺聚糖、蛋白聚糖和胶原蛋白。

The long-term objectives of this application are to better understand the regulation of relaxin secretion in the pregnant rat and to determine the physiological effects of relaxin in both the pregnant rat and pig. The influence of litter size on relaxin secretion during late pregnancy will be determined by adjusting conceptus numbers during early pregnancy and determining relaxin concentrations in frequent blood samplings collected during the antepartum period. The influence of the maternal pituitary on relaxin secretion during the second half of pregnancy will be determined by hypophysectomizing pregnant rats (day 13) which contain either a full complement of conceptuses or one conceptus and determining relaxin concentrations in blood and ovaries collected on days 14, 16, 18, and 20 of pregnancy. The influence of endogenous maternal luteinizing hormone (LH) on relaxin secretion during late pregnancy will be determined by masking LH receptors with the LH antagonist deglycosylated human chorionic gonadotropin and determining relaxin concentrations in the peripheral blood during the last three days of pregnancy. The physiological effects of relaxin at birth in the rat will be determined by observing the consequences of deprivation of endogenous relaxin. This will be done by passive neutralization of relaxin with antibodies for rat relaxin and also by reduction of endogenous relaxin levels by removal of nearly all of the corpora lutea. The influence of relaxin on the tensile properties and biochemical composition of cervical connective tissue during pregnancy in the pig will be determined by comparing these characteristics among cervices obtained from intact pregnant pigs and ovariectomized pregnant pigs treated with progesterone or progesterone plus relaxin. The cervical creep rate of freshly collected sections of the cephalic and caudal portions of the cervix will be determined. The biochemical components of the cervix which will be characterized are those of the glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, and collagen.