Induction of the hyaluronic acid-binding protein, tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6, in cervical smooth muscle cells by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and prostaglandin E(2).

ABSTRACT: Immediately before parturition the cervix undergoes striking changes in structure (ripening) that facilitate dilatation and effacement. Cervical ripening shares many features in common with inflammation-associated tissue remodeling, making it a valuable process to explore with respect to the biochemical events in extracellular matrix restructuring. Cervical ripening can be pharmacologically induced with prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). Among the biochemical changes in the cervix at parturition is a marked increase in the hyaluronic acid (HA) content. HA and HA-binding proteins have been implicated in tissue hydration, release of collagenase, and leukocyte migration, but their roles in cervical ripening have not been explored. In the present study we examined the ability of PGE(2) to induce exp

SUBMITTER: Fujimoto T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1867199 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature