1. The receptors for relaxin in the rat atria and uterus were investigated and compared by use of a series of synthetic and native relaxin analogues. The assays used were the positive chronotropic and inotropic effects in rat spontaneously beating, isolated right atrium and electrically driven left atrium and the relaxation of K+ precontracted uterine smooth muscle. 2. Relaxin analogues with an intact A- and B-chain were active in producing powerful chronotropic and inotropic effects in the rat isolated atria at nanomolar concentrations. Single-chain analogues and structural homologues of relaxin such as human insulin and sheep insulin-like growth factor I had no agonist action and did not antagonize the effect of the B29 form of human gene 2 relaxin. 3. Shortening the B-chain carboxyl terminal of human gene 1 (B2-29) relaxin to B2-26 reduced the activity of the peptide and removal of another 2 amino acid residues (B2-24) abolished the activity. This suggests that the B-chain length may be important for determination of the activity of relaxin. More detailed studies are needed to determine the effect of progressive amino acid removal on the structure and the bioactivity of relaxin. 4. Porcine prorelaxin was as active as porcine relaxin on a molar basis, suggesting that the presence of the intact C-peptide did not affect the binding of the prorelaxin to the receptor to produce functional responses. 5. Relaxin caused relaxation of uterine longitudinal and circular smooth muscle precontracted with 40 mM K+. The pEC50 values for human gene 2 and porcine relaxins were lower than those in the atrial assay, but rat relaxin had similar pEC50 values in both atrial and uterine assays. Rat relaxin was significantly less potent than either human gene 2 or porcine relaxin in the atrial assay, but in the uterine assay they were equipotent. The results suggest that the relaxin receptor or the signalling pathway in rat atria may differ from that in the uterus.
Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from rhizomes of the Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff (Zingiberaceae) induces apoptosis-mediated cell death in tumour cells via dysregulation of the NF-κB pathway. However there were some clinical development drawbacks such as poor in vivo solubility, depreciation of biological activity upon exposure to an aqueous environment and non-specific targeting of tumour cells. In the present study, all the problems above were addressed using the novel drug complex formulation involving recombinant human alpha fetoprotein (rhAFP) and ACA.
The binding characteristics of the relaxin receptor in rat atria, uterus and cortex were studied using a [33P]-labelled human gene 2 relaxin (B33) and quantitative receptor autoradiography. The binding kinetics of [33P]-human gene 2 relaxin (B33) were investigated in slide-mounted rat atrial sections. The binding achieved equilibrium after 60 min incubation at room temperature (23+/-1 degrees C) and dissociated slowly. The association and dissociation rate constants were 4.31+/-0.34x10(8) M(-1) x min(-1) and 1.55+/-0.38x10(-3) min(-1) respectively. Thus, the kinetic dissociation constant was 3.46+/-0.59 pM. Binding was saturable to a single population of non-interacting sites throughout atria, in uterine myometrium and the 5th layer of cerebral cortex. The binding affinities (pK(D)) of [33P]-human gene 2 relaxin (B33) were 8.92+/-0.09 in atrial myocardium and 8.79+/-0.04 in cerebral cortex of male rats, and 8.79+/-0.10 in uterine myometrium. Receptor densities in the cerebral cortex and atria were higher than in uterine myometrium, indicating that relaxin also has important roles in non-reproductive tissues. In male rats, treatment with 17beta-oestradiol (20 microg in 0.1 ml sesame oil s.c., 18-24 h) significantly decreased the density of relaxin receptors in atria and cerebral cortex. Identical treatment in female rats had no significant effect in atria and cerebral cortex, but it significantly increased the density of relaxin receptors in uterine myometrium. Relaxin binding was competitively displaced by porcine and rat native relaxins. Porcine native relaxin binds to the relaxin receptor in male rat atria (8.90+/-0.02), and cerebral cortex (8.90+/-0.03) and uterine myometrium (8.89+/-0.03) with affinities not significantly different from human gene 2 (B33) relaxin. Nevertheless, rat relaxin binds to the receptors with affinities (8.35+/-0.09 in atria, 8.22+/-0.07 in cerebral cortex and 8.48+/-0.06 in uterine myometrium) significantly less than human gene 2 (B33) and porcine relaxins. Quantitative receptor autoradiography is the method of choice for measurement of affinities and densities of relaxin receptor in atria, uterine myometrium and cerebral cortex. High densities were found in all these tissues. 17beta-oestradiol treatment produced complex effects where it increased the densities of relaxin receptors in uterus but decreased those in atria and cerebral cortex of the male rats, and had no effect on the atria and cerebral cortex of the female rats.
Ovarian steroids such as estrogen and progesterone have been reported to influence knee laxity. The effect of testosterone, however, remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of testosterone on the knee range of motion (ROM) and the molecular mechanisms that might involve changes in the expression of relaxin receptor isoforms, Rxfp1 and Rxfp2 in the patella tendon and lateral collateral ligament of the female rat knee. Ovariectomized adult female Wistar rats received three days treatment with peanut oil (control), testosterone (125 and 250 μg/kg) and testosterone (125 and 250 μg/kg) plus flutamide, an androgen receptor blocker or finasteride, a 5α-reductase inhibitor. Duplicate groups received similar treatment however in the presence of relaxin (25 ng/kg). A day after the last drug injection, knee passive ROM was measured by using a digital miniature goniometer. Both tendon and ligament were harvested and then analysed for protein and mRNA expression for Rxfp1 and Rxfp2 respectively. Knee passive ROM, Rxfp1 and Rxfp2 expression were significantly reduced following treatment with testosterone. Flutamide or finasteride administration antagonized the testosterone effect. Concomitant administration of testosterone and relaxin did not result in a significant change in knee ROM as compared to testosterone only treatment; however this was significantly increased following flutamide or finasteride addition. Testosterone effect on knee passive ROM is likely mediated via dihydro-testosterone (DHT), and involves downregulation of Rxfp1 and Rxfp2 expression, which may provide the mechanism underlying testosterone-induced decrease in female knee laxity.
The high risk of knee injuries in female may be associated with sex-steroid hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle by its effect on ligaments and tendons stiffness. This study examined changes in knee range of motion in presence of estrogen and progesterone and investigated the interaction of their antagonists to relaxin receptors.