Hormonal regulation myometrial adrenergic responses: the receptor and beyond.

The contractile response of the uterus is modified by sex steroids. In rabbit uterus, oestrogen promotes alpha-adrenergically-mediated contraction, whilst progesterone treatment results in beta-adrenergic relaxation. Examination of the mechanisms responsible for these changing adrenergic responses with sex steroids reveals multiple sites of regulation. Oestrogen increases alpha 1-receptor concentration and the linkage of the receptor to phospholipase C. In addition to this direct effect to promote contraction, oestrogen also uncouples the beta-receptor from adenylate cyclase. Progesterone, conversely, promotes relaxation through beta-receptors by uncoupling alpha 2-receptors from inhibition of adenylate cyclase. Thus sex steroids can regulate specific agonist responses at and beyond the receptor.