Relaxin is increasingly being recognized as a potent vasodilatory and antifibrotic hormone. Given that relaxin is present in the circulation during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy, when arterial pressure is lowest in women, relaxin may contribute to the relative cardiovascular protection observed in premenopausal women as compared with age-matched men and postmenopausal women. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of relaxin to the normal regulation of arterial pressure in adult female and male mice and during pregnancy. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured via radiotelemetry in 14-week-old male and female wild-type (WT; C67BL/6xSv129) and relaxin knockout (KO) mice. Thereafter, female mice were time-mated with a (non-telemetered) male of the same genotype and MAP was measured throughout gestation. Basal MAP was ∼10 mmHg lower in WT females than males (P<0.05). Relaxin deficiency increased basal MAP in females (P<0.05 vs WT female), but not males. As expected, MAP decreased during gestation in WT mice. Conversely, in relaxin KO mice, arterial pressure increased during mid and late gestation (P<0.05 as compared with WT). Moreover, relaxin deficiency impaired gestational weight gain and reduced litter size. This is the first study to (i) demonstrate that relaxin contributes to the sexual dimorphism of arterial pressure in mice and (ii) document the changes in the arterial pressure profile of pregnant relaxin KO mice. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of arterial pressure in premenopausal females may uncover new strategies to treat hypertension in women (non-pregnant and pregnant) and men.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
December 2017
-
Cover Image
Cover Image
Wheat germ agglutinin staining of the adult mouse heart transverse section. In their study, Diniz et al., shows microRNA-22 regulates dyslipidemia and energy expenditure. For more information please see pages 2885-2900. Image kindly provided by Da-Zhi Wang
Research Article|
November 28 2017
Relaxin contributes to the regulation of arterial pressure in adult female mice
Katrina M. Mirabito Colafella;
Katrina M. Mirabito Colafella
1Cardiovascular Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
2Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
3Division of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Search for other works by this author on:
Chrishan S. Samuel;
Chrishan S. Samuel
1Cardiovascular Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
4Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Kate M. Denton
1Cardiovascular Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
2Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Correspondence: Kate Denton ([email protected])
Search for other works by this author on:
Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 12 2017
Revision Received:
October 09 2017
Accepted:
November 03 2017
Accepted Manuscript online:
November 03 2017
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2017
Clin Sci (Lond) (2017) 131 (23): 2795–2805.
Article history
Received:
July 12 2017
Revision Received:
October 09 2017
Accepted:
November 03 2017
Accepted Manuscript online:
November 03 2017
Citation
Katrina M. Mirabito Colafella, Chrishan S. Samuel, Kate M. Denton; Relaxin contributes to the regulation of arterial pressure in adult female mice. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 December 2017; 131 (23): 2795–2805. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20171225
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Sign in to your personal account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Biochemical Society Member Sign in
Sign InSign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionGet Access To This Article
Cited By
Open Access for all
We offer compliant routes for all authors from 2025. With library support, there will be no author nor reader charges in 5 journals. Check here |
![]() |