Baccari Maria C, Squecco Roberta, Garella Rachele
Ital J Anat Embryol. 2013;118(1 Suppl):80-1.
Relaxin is involved in a variety of functions. Among them, relaxin influences gastrointestinal motility in mice mainly regulating the biosynthesis of nitric oxide, considered as the main substance causing smooth muscle relaxations. Relaxin is able to regulate the different nitric oxide synthase expression depending on the gut region considered. Relaxin also counteracts the hypermotility state, related to a defective nitric oxide production, observed in the gut of dystrophic (mdx) mice. From the above considerations, it appears that relaxin, in addition to its physiological roles, may be regarded as a therapeutic tool in gastrointestinal diseases characterized pathogenically by an altered nitric oxide production.
松弛素参与多种功能。其中，松弛素影响小鼠胃肠道蠕动，主要通过调节一氧化氮的生物合成来实现，一氧化氮被认为是引起平滑肌松弛的主要物质。根据所考虑的肠道区域，松弛素能够调节不同一氧化氮合酶的表达。松弛素还能对抗在营养不良（mdx）小鼠肠道中观察到的与一氧化氮产生缺陷相关的运动亢进状态。基于上述考虑，似乎松弛素除了其生理作用外，还可被视为一种治疗工具，用于治疗以一氧化氮产生改变为致病特征的胃肠道疾病。
