EXPRESSION OF CORTICOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE-RECEPTOR MESSENGER-RNA AND PROTEIN IN THE HUMAN MYOMETRIUM

The reported effects of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) on huma n myometrium support the existence of specific receptors for the hormo ne in this tissue. We have used the reverse transcriptase-polymerase c hain reaction (RT-PCR) technique to study the expression of mRNA codin g for the CRH R1 and R2 receptors. RT-PCR of total RNA from both nonpr egnant and pregnant myometrium using specific primers resulted in ampl ification products of the expected sizes for the R1 alpha and R2 alpha CRH receptors. The identity of these amplification products was confi rmed by specific restriction digests and sequencing. Immunohistochemis try using a rabbit antibody raised against a specific domain of the CR H R1 receptor demonstrated that the RI mRNA is translated into protein and confirmed that it is the uterine smooth muscle cells from both no npregnant and pregnant women that bear this receptor. Our results sugg est that CRH may play a role in human pregnancy at the myometrium.