Oxytocin and vasopressin 1a receptor gene expression in the cycling or pregnant human uterus

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare concentrations of messenger ribonucleic acid specific for the oxytocin receptor and for the vasopressin la receptor in myometrial and endometrial tissues of pregnant and nonpregnant women. STUDY DESIGN: Tissues from pregnant uteri were obtained from 95 women who were undergoing cesarean delivery between 26 and 42 weeks' gestation. Tissues from nonpregnant uteri were obtained from 7 cycling women who were undergoing hysterectomy. The competitive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction method was used to determine messenger ribonucleic acid concentrations. RESULTS: A significant increase in oxytocin receptor messenger ribonucleic acid was found during the first half of pregnancy. Oxytocin receptor messenger ribonucleic acid concentrations were lower in tissues with spontaneous contractions than in quiescent tissues and were decreased in patients with advanced labor. Vasopressin la receptor messenger ribonucleic acid concentrations were high in tissues from both cycling and pregnant uteri but remained unchanged throughout gestation. CONCLUSION: The increase in oxytocin receptor protein concentrations seen in pregnancy is only partially controlled by messenger ribonucleic acid abundance. High concentrations of vasopressin la receptor messenger ribonucleic acid confirm the biologically active role of this receptor in both the cycling and the pregnant uterus.