Expression of Matrix Metralloproteinase-11 (Stromelysin-3) and TIMP-1 Genes in the Placenta and the Uterus during Estrous Cycles and Gestation in the Mouse

抄録

Changes in MMP-11 (stromelysin-3) and TIMP-1 gene expression in the uterus and the placenta of the mouse during different reproductive stages were examined by quantitative RT-PCR. MMP-11 expression rose steeply from baseline levels in early estrus, and reached a peak at estrus, and then declined rapidly on diestrus. During pregnancy, high levels of MMP-11 mRNA were detected in the uterus on Days 1 and 19 of gestation, while it was minimal on Day 7. A reciprocal relationship was found between MMP-11 and TIMP-1 expression both in the uterus and the placenta. These observations suggest a role for MMP-11 in the remodeling of uterine extracellular matrix during the estrous cycle and the pregnancy.