Aging blunts remodeling of the uterine artery during murine pregnancy

Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation
Olivier W H van der HeijdenGuillaume J J M van Eys

Abstract

The progressive increase in uterine blood flow (UBF) during pregnancy is accommodated by morphologic changes in the uterine artery (UA) in a process defined as arterial remodeling. This process is accompanied by changes in cytoskeletal architecture of the arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Aging reduces flow-induced arterial remodeling. We studied changes in the murine UA during pregnancy and on the effects of aging on the capacity of the UA to remodel in response to pregnancy. We determined morphologic and cytologic changes in UA from nonpregnant and pregnant mice aged 12 weeks (young) and 40 weeks (old) and correlated them with their reproductive performance. In young mice, pregnancy induced an early increase in UA wall mass, which preceded lumen widening. These changes were not accompanied by altered densities of elastin and collagen in the ECM of the medial layer. Smooth muscle cell proliferation increased in midpregnancy and was paralleled by a transient decrease in smoothelin and smooth muscle alpha-actin expression. In old mice, these pregnancy-dependent changes in the UA wall were either absent or markedly reduced. Although by day 11 of pregnancy litter size did not differ be...Continue Reading

References

Sep 1, 1987·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·D K Lehmann, J Chism
Jul 1, 1995·Physiological Reviews·G K Owens
Oct 12, 1995·The New England Journal of Medicine·R C FrettsM B Goldman
Dec 1, 1994·Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey·J J Duvekot, L L Peeters
Oct 15, 1994·American Journal of Epidemiology·D K ArnettW A Riley
Sep 1, 1994·American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology·M Cipolla, G Osol
Jun 1, 1996·Obstetrics and Gynecology·A BiancoR L Berkowitz
Jul 1, 1996·The Journal of Cell Biology·F T van der LoopG J van Eys
Sep 1, 1997·Circulation Research·J K MiyashiroB C Berk
Jul 31, 1998·Human Reproduction Update·C van Katwijk, L L Peeters
Apr 6, 2000·American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology·F A DinennoH Tanaka
Nov 1, 2000·Human Reproduction·M JollyL Regan
Feb 9, 2002·American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology·Alan Y H WongS Lee Adamson
Jun 14, 2002·American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology·Jay L TuttleJoseph L Unthank
Jan 17, 2003·American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology·Ian M BirdRonald R Magness
May 15, 2003·Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal : SCJ·Michael MaengGeert T Espersen
Aug 23, 2003·Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology·Rob H P HilgersJo G R De Mey

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 8, 2005·Angiogenesis·Berthold Huppertz, Louis L H Peeters
Feb 19, 2010·American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology·Robin E GandleyJulie A DeLoia
Feb 7, 2009·Physiology·George Osol, Maurizio Mandala
Sep 19, 2006·High Altitude Medicine & Biology·L Christie RockwellLorna G Moore
Feb 18, 2006·Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental·Silvia CaluwaertsF André Van Assche
Mar 23, 2017·The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences·Silvestre SampinoGrazyna Ewa Ptak
Aug 27, 2005·Biology of Reproduction·Olivier W H van der HeijdenLouis L H Peeters
Jan 11, 2007·Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine·Guillaume J van EysSander S Rensen
Apr 9, 2009·Reproductive Sciences·Olivier W H van der HeijdenGuillaume J J M van Eys
Sep 22, 2018·Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology·Alexander E P HeazellRebecca L Jones
Jan 22, 2005·Biology of Reproduction·Olivier W H van der HeijdenGuillaume J J M van Eys
Feb 12, 2005·American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology·Jo G R De MeyMarijke M W Sanders
Feb 22, 2011·American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology·Joris van DrongelenPaul Smits
Jul 10, 2012·FASEB Journal : Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·Linda A GalloMary E Wlodek

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle, that can lead to muscular or electrical dysfunction of the heart. It is often an irreversible disease that is associated with a poor prognosis. There are different causes and classifications of cardiomyopathies. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.